What do you see when you look up into the sky at night? The moon,
stars, maybe even a comet or asteroid? You can also see other planets!
In Planetary Science: Explore New Frontiers, readers ages 12 to 15
embark on a journey through the solar system and beyond, exploring
planets, moons, dwarf planets, exoplanets and everything in-between. For
many ancient cultures, planets were mysterious objects that moved
against the backdrop of the heavens in strange but predictable patterns.
Ever since Galileo Galilee first used a telescope to explore the moons
of Jupiter, we've known that the planets are much more than mysterious
points of light in the night sky. With the creation of incredible
technologies such as space probes, giant ground-based telescopes, and
Earth-orbiting observatories, we've learned that Mars once had water on
its surface, that Jupiter's Great Red Spot has been churning for
centuries, and that thousands of exoplanets circle distant suns.
Planetary science is also exciting because of what we don't know. Was
there ever life on Mars? Is Planet Nine lurking in the outer reaches of
the solar system? Will we ever find another Earth? How far can we go? In
Planetary Science, readers examine the latest information on Pluto,
the discoveries of the Mars rover Curiosity, and the incredible catalog
of distant planets uncovered by the Kepler Space Telescope. They learn
about how planets are formed and why they travel on their orbits.
Planets, those pinpricks of light you might spot on a clear night, come
closer through informative illustrations, links to online primary
sources, illuminating sidebars and fun facts, and hands-on, in-depth
activities, such as building scale models of planets, hunting for alien
worlds through citizen science, and crafting a comet in the kitchen.
Planetary Science also promotes critical thinking skills through
inquiry, discovery, and research by encouraging readers to explore
questions that remain unanswered, such as whether Mars once had life or
the possibility of a ninth planet hiding in the furthest reaches of the
solar system. With discoveries being made almost every day, it's an
exciting time to be a planetary scientist!
