Moore on Mercury (eBook)

The Planet and the Missions

Patrick Moore (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2010 | 2007
XIV, 140 Seiten
Springer London (Verlag)
978-1-84628-760-2 (ISBN)

Infos

In his inimitable, easy-going style, Patrick Moore describes Mercury. He writes of the professional astronomers who have observed it over the centuries, amateur observations, and the past, present and future space missions to this extraordinary world. In doing so he has written the most up-to-date book about Mercury for amateur astronomers. Mercury is one of the more difficult objects for astronomers to observe because of its close proximity to the Sun. However, amateur astronomers can see the planet and its ever-changing phases all year, and sometimes watch it transit the Sun - the next transit is in November 2006, followed by one in May 2016.

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Mercury is one of the more difficult objects for amateur astronomers to observe because of its close proximity to the Sun. For the same reason, it is also one of the most fascinating and strange planets. Mercury is not much larger that our Moon, but orbits the Sun at an average distance of only 58 million km, compared to the Earth's 150 million km. On its sunlit side, Mercury's surface temperature can exceed 450C while the night side freezes at -180C.Amateur astronomers can see Mercury and its ever-changing phases all year, and sometimes watch it transit the Sun the next transit is in November 2006, followed by one in May 2016.In his inimitable, easy-going style, Patrick Moore describes Mercury, the professional astronomers who have observed it over the centuries, amateur observations, and the past, present and future space missions to this extraordinary world.

Inhalt

Title Page 4
Copyright Page 5
Acknowledgements 6
Table of Contents 7
1Lift-off 8
2 Elusive Planet 12
3 "Messenger of the Gods" 19
4 Mercury in the Solar System 26
5 Crossing the Sun 32
6 Ghost Planet 41
7Through the Telescope 51
8 Mapping Mercury 59
9Mariner 10 68
10Cratered World 75
11Around Mercury 86
12 Return to Mercury 106
13Life on Mercury? 116
14 A Trip to Mercury 120
15Mercurian Base 126
Appendix 1 Data for Mercury 131
Appendix 2 Phenomena of Mercury 133
Bibliography 135
Index 136

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 13.8.2010
• Zusatzinfo: VII, 139 p. 5 illus.
• Verlagsort: London
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Weltraum / Astronomie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Astronomie / Astrophysik
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: Environment • Moon • Planet • Solar • Solar System • Sun • telescope
• ISBN-10: 1-84628-760-X / 184628760X
• ISBN-13: 978-1-84628-760-2 / 9781846287602