The solar system [electronic resource] / editors, David G. Fisher, Richard R. Erickson.

ISBN:

9781587655340

Title:

Author:

Fisher, David G.

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

1 online resource (3 volumes (pages xxviii, 1045 pages)) : illustrations

Contents:

v. 1. Archaeoastronomy-Jupiter's ring system -- v. 2. Jupiter's satellites-Saturn's ring system -- v. 3. Saturn's satellites-X-ray and gamma ray astronomy. Appendixes. Index.

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Astronomy.

Geographic Term:

Solar system.

Added Author:

Fisher, David G.

Erickson, Richard R., 1945-

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2010

Publication Information:

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
523.2 22	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

Heavily illustrated and detailed, and completely up-to-date, The Solar System, Revised Edition provides an A to Z format on over 180 major topics on Earth's solar system. All essays from the previous edition have been fully expanded and revised to includ

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6-10-Extensively revised and with nearly fifty percent more entries (Salem, 1998), these 180 articles offer comprehensive views of the solar system's bodies, dynamics, and phenomena, as well as a thorough account of how they are studied via astronomical observation and space exploration. Each entry opens with a quick summary of the topic and closes with an annotated reading list and an array of cross-references. Most pieces also feature one or more charts, tables, and sharp black-and-white photos or artists' renditions. Subjects range from discussions of "Nemesis and Planet X" (theorized bodies whose long orbits tie into Earth's periodic mass extinctions) to "Earth's Crust" and, further afield, "Pulsars" and "Extrasolar Planets." Articles are generally three pages in length but can be as long as nine. The cross-references, lengthy subject index, continuous pagination throughout the volumes, and a thematic table of contents, in addition to one by volume, make access particularly easy. Though color illustrations give Lucy-Ann McFadden's Encyclopedia of the Solar System (Elsevier, 2006) a visual boost, serious students of our planetary neighborhood will appreciate the more current content of this alternative.-John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Some of the material in this encyclopedia was previously published in The Solar System (1998). There are 58 new topics covering every planet in the solar system, comets and asteroids, and interplanetary phenomena as well as 25 topics associated with the earth sciences. The 180 entries are arranged alphabetically. Examples include Big Bang, Dwarf planets, Earth's origin, Extraterrestrial life in the solar system, Impact cratering, Mars's water, Pluto and Charon, and Solar radio emissions. Essays are between three and seven pages in length and offer a brief summary of the significance of the topic, an overview of the main facts, context as it relates to a broader perspective, and annotated further-reading suggestions. All three volumes contain numerous black-and-white images, sidebars, and diagrams. Units of measure and alphabetical and category lists of contents are found in each volume, and volume 3 contains a glossary, a general bibliography, a list of Web sites, and a subject index. Extremely well written, this encyclopedia is recommended for high-school, public, and academic libraries.--Rosenberg, Robyn Copyright 2009 Booklist

Choice Review

This title is an updated edition of the three-volume The Solar System (CH, Sep'98, 36-0039), ed. by R. Smith and published as part of the Magill's Choice imprint. It includes 180 essays that are three to five pages long. Each essay is categorized as to the subdiscipline covered. Each begins with an overview, includes all recent discoveries since the last edition, and features "further reading" suggestions and see also references. Essays are signed by the contributors, who are mostly academics from US institutions of higher education. Volume 3 includes a glossary, a bibliography, a list of Web sites, and an extensive index. Though this set has no color images and uses inexpensive binding and paper, it could be suitable for high school and community college students. Most colleges and universities, however, would be better served by purchasing the Encyclopedia of the Solar System (2nd ed., CH, Jul'07, 44-5979), ed. by L.-A. McFadden, P. R. Weissman, and T. V. Johnson. Though this older title is only a single volume, it is less expensive, includes color images, and is written on a more sophisticated level. Summing Up: Optional. Lower-level undergraduates. P. M. Storm Eastern Michigan University

Library Journal Review

This thoroughly updated and expanded encyclopedia on the solar system is the second edition of Salem's 1998 work, which was itself largely a collection of articles from previous Magill publications. Editors Fisher and Erickson, both in the astronomy department at Lycoming College, added some 58 new topics to the 122 revised essays, each running about 2000-5000 words over the course of three to seven pages. The signed essays are made up of a brief definition or statement of its significance, an overview (which may be several pages long), a section on the methods of study used or knowledge gained or applications for the topic, and a section on the historical context. An annotated listing of further readings for each essay focuses on print sources, and See also references finish the entries. A table of contents, a list of units of measure, an alphabetical list of contents covering all three volumes, and a category list of contents are in each volume. Volume 1 also includes a list of all contributors and their affiliations; Volume 3 contains an extensive glossary, a general bibliography, a list of 110 authoritative web sites, and a subject index. The content, written for college students or a general adult audience, would be rather technical for younger readers, but the formatting and A-to-Z arrangement make the book rather easy to navigate. Some 200 black-and-white photos and illustrations accompany the essays, but given the ready availability of high-quality color photos, these seem outdated and disappointing. Bottom Line Despite some shortcomings, this is an excellent and thorough resource, recommended for academic and public libraries.-Rosanne M. Cordell, Indiana Univ. Lib. South Bend (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.