Solar System Astrophysics

This exhaustive work covers solar system astrophysics beginning with basic tools of spherical astronomy, and celestial mechanics. The book presents equations and derivations starting from a level that permits one to see the underlying physical ideas - no other book on the market does this. Coverage includes the Earth-Moon system and the interior planets; rocks and minerals, including crystallography; atmospheres, with detailed discussions of circulation, applicable also to discussion of the gas giants. The three giant planets are discussed together, highlighting their thermal common properties. This is followed by chapters on moons and rings, comets and meteors, meteorites and asteroids, and a discussion of extrasolar planets. The material is updated to incorporate the latest discoveries of the Mars Rover and the Saturn Cassini missions.