Exploring the Planets

A Memoir

By: Fred , Halley Professor of Physics (Emeritus), Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, UK) Tayl

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Hardcover | 10 March 2016

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Hardcover
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
16.7 x 24.1 x 2.7

Hardcover

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The planets fascinate us, and naturally we care about our own Earth, and things like how well we can forecast the weather and whether climate is really changing. Exploring the Planets offers a personal account on how the space programme evolved. It begins in the era of the first blurry views of our Earth as seen from space, and ends with current plans for sophisticated robots on places as near as our neighbours Venus and Mars and as far away as the rainy lakelands of Saturn's planet-sized moon Titan. Examining the scientific goals of these complex voyages of discovery, and the joys and hardships of working to achieve them.

The Space Age is now about 50 years old and for those lucky enough to be part of it at its inception, it's filled a worklong lifetime. Today, several satellites around the Earth have studied the atmosphere and the climate using instruments on board that the author helped design and build. 'Deep space' missions were embarked upon to visit the planets: all of the major bodies (six planets, the Moon and minor bodies, asteroids and comets) of the classical Solar System have been scrutinised close-up by experiments built in various laboratories worldwide. Most of the narrative is based on the author's experiences at the world's space agencies, research labs, and conferences, and at other places as diverse as Cape Canaveral and No. 10 Downing Street.

Industry Reviews

Taylor tells it like it is. He also presents clear explanations of planetary discoveries that made his hard work worthwhile and the implications of these discoveries for global warming on Earth. This work is highly recommended for students contemplating science or engineering careers in space exploration and for space policy analysts and historians. * CHOICE *
...a blend of the authors personal life and an insight into some of the most exciting space missions from the past five decades. * Kevin McNulty, Popular Astronomy *
Taylor is a great storyteller and a skilful writer * Govert Schilling, BBC Sky at Night *
captivating behind-the-scenes look at space astronomy * Govert Schilling, BBC Sky at Night *
a rich and illuminating book ... a must-read for everyone interested in planetary science or considering a career in space exploration * Govert Schilling, BBC Sky at Night *
entertaining * David Edwards, Geoscientist *
splendidly vivid memoir * Nicholas Booth, Astronomy Now *
a wonderfully warm and witty memoir ... Fred is a wise, skilled narrator * Nicholas Booth, Astronomy Now *
A welcome addition to any library * Nicholas Booth, Astronomy Now *
There's certainly plenty here for the (unmanned) space exploration fan to get his or her teeth into. * Brian Clegg, Popular Science *
Taylor has the happy knack of making the most complex scientific information both interesting and accessible * Steve Craggs, Northern Echo *

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