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The hunt for planet X : new worlds and the fate of Pluto / Govert Schilling.

Van Pelt Library QB601.9 .S35 2009
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Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Schilling, Govert.
Standardized Title:
Jacht op planeet X. English
Language:
Dutch
English
Subjects (All):
Outer planets--Discovery and exploration--Popular works.
Outer planets.
Discoveries in geography.
Astronomy.
History.
Planets--Discovery and exploration--Popular works.
Planets.
Planets--Aeronautics.
Planets--Age.
Planets--Core.
Planets--Density.
Planets--Mantles.
Planets--Mass.
Planets--Radiation.
Planets--Rotation.
Planets--Seasons.
Planets--Transits.
Planets--Wind erosion.
Planets--Winds.
Solar system--Discovery and exploration--Popular works.
Solar system.
Astronomy--History--Popular works.
Genre:
Popular works.
Physical Description:
xiii, 303 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm
Place of Publication:
New York ; London : Copernicus Books/Springer Science + Business Media, [2008]
Summary:
The Hunt for Planet X: New Worlds and the Fate of Pluto goes beyond a standard scientific read, encompassing who, and what, is involved in the pursuit of planetary endeavors. Touching on over three-hundred years of debates, debacles and discoveries, this book offers the reader insight into the minds and motives of planetary astronomers and their findings. The "hunt" continues to the outer-most regions of the solar system, and Govert Schilling states this search will not cease: "Astronomy is an adventurous science," he writes, and without adventure and those who seek it out the universe would otherwise remain mysterious. The real-life characters presented in The Hunt for Planet X look for glimpses of light in the dark, from icy Kuiper Belt objects to full-fledged planets, in the process challenging how such worlds should be defined and ultimately describing the Universe.
Contents:
1 A Larger Solar System 1
Pea 3
Conjunction 4
Fuzzy Star 7
2 Eleven Planets 11
Quest 13
Point of Light 14
Fragments 16
3 The Writing Desk Planet 19
Orbital Deviations 21
Mathematical Genius 21
Not on the Map 23
Loss of Face 25
Search 27
4 'I've Found Your Planet X' 29
Another Planet? 30
Lowell's Hunt 32
New Searches for Planet X 33
Tombaugh's Dedication 36
5 The Kid Planet 39
The Pluto Breakfast 41
Cartoon Figure 43
Scrapbooks 45
6 A Strange and Wonderful Week 47
Missed Opportunity 48
Omen 50
Charon 53
7 Fortunate Circumstances 55
Atmosphere 56
Mr Pluto 58
Pure Luck 59
Odd Man Out 61
8 Nix and Hydra 65
Hubble Photos 66
Double Discovery 68
Confirmation 69
Names 71
Quibbling 72
9 The Unauthorized Planet 75
Painstaking Work 76
Rhadamanthus 79
Centaurs 80
Forbidden Zone 81
10 Uranus: Problem Solved? 85
Speculation 86
Humphrey 87
Exit Planet X 88
A Pinch of Salt 90
11 Mysterious Forces 93
Explorers 94
Precision Measurements 96
The Pioneer Anomaly 97
Planets Aplenty 98
12 The Hunt for the Death Star 101
Dinosaurs 102
Nemesis 104
A Remote Planet X 107
13 The Secret Planet 111
A Ready Pen 112
Conspiracy 113
Zetas 114
Mayas 116
14 Vulcanoids and Earth-Grazers 119
Vulcan 120
Astronomy by Fighter Jet 121
Earth-Grazers 123
Apophis 124
Danger of Impact 125
15 The Kuiper Connection 127
Beyond Neptune 129
The Kuiper Belt 130
Enormous Legacy 132
16 Comet Puzzles 135
The Oort Cloud 137
Roving Comets 138
Wriggling Dots 140
Simulations 141
17 Smiley 145
Uncertainties 146
White Mountain 149
Lucky Strike 151
18 Family Portraits 155
Plutinos 156
Speed Blinking 158
Mini-Feud 161
19 The Migrating Planet 165
Odyssey 166
Migration 169
Resonances 171
20 Icy Treasure Troves 175
Pitfalls 177
Pholus 179
Variety 181
21 The Big Five 183
Large Field of View 185
Quaoar 187
Quest 189
Sedna 192
22 The Tenth Planet 195
Xena 197
Tenth Planet 199
Lila 201
23 The Spanish Invasion 205
Google 208
Typing Error 210
IP Addresses 212
Secrecy 213
24 Pas de deux 217
Big Whack 219
Icy Duos 221
Confirmation 222
25 Model from Nice 225
Strange Pair 226
Migration and Resonance 228
Bombardment 231
26 Planet Under Siege 235
Demotion 236
Pluto Soap Opera 238
Wanted: A Definition 241
27 Planetary Elections 245
Dwarf Planets 247
Rebellion 249
Foul Play 250
28 The Continuing Story 255
Eris and Dysnomia 256
Buffy 258
A Hundred Thousand Ice Dwarfs 260
29 A Thousand Planets 265
Indirect Clues 266
Origins 269
Mysteries 271
30 New Horizons 275
Pluto Fast Flyby 276
A Fresh Start 278
Souvenirs from Earth 279
Table: Details of a Number of Large Ice Dwarfs 283.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (page 295) and index.
ISBN:
9780387778044
0387778047
OCLC:
233934231

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