Author:
Sheehan, William, 1954- author.
ImprintLondon, UK : Reaktion Books, 2019.
Imprint2019
Description220 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 23 cm.
Note:A pale yellow star -- A strange ringed world -- Saturn in depth -- Aesthetic rubble (the rings) -- Cassini's epic mission -- Saturn by moonlight -- Observing Saturn -- Appendix I. Saturn data -- Appendix II. Saturn ring data -- Appendix III. Saturn moon data.
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references (pages 210-211) and index.
Note:Saturn is the showpiece planet of our solar system. It may not be the largest, nor the smallest, nor even the only planet with rings. But it is among the most stunning objects in the sky and is always breathtaking when seen in a telescope. This is a beautifully illustrated, authoritative overview of the entire history of humankind's fascination with the ringed planet, from the first low-resolution views by Galileo, Huygens, and other early observers with telescopes to the most recent discoveries by the spacecraft Cassini, which studied the planet at close range between 2004 and 2017. Saturn describes the planet from inside out, detailing the complicated system of rings and their interaction with Saturn's bevy of satellites, and it considers how Saturn formed and the role it played in the early history of the solar system. Featuring the latest research and a spectacular array of images, this book will appeal to anyone who has ever gazed with wonder upon the sixth planet from the sun.
