Formation of the Solar System, The: Theories Old and New

Woolfson, Michael Mark

ISBN 10: 1860948243 / ISBN 13: 9781860948244

Published by Imperial College Press, 2007

About this Item

No dust jacket. Good hardcover with some shelfwear; may have previous owner's name inside. Standard-sized.

Seller Inventory # mon0000173501

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Formation of the Solar System, The: Theories Old and New
• Publisher: Imperial College Press
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1860948243
• ISBN 13: 9781860948244
• Binding: hardcover
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

This book traces the development of ideas about the origin of the Solar System from ancient times to the present day. A survey of more modern ideas, covering the last 200 years or so, highlights the difficulties experienced by theories and also points the way towards the development of a more successful theory. In particular, the current "standard model" -- the Solar Nebula Theory -- is examined and discussed in some detail. After more than thirty years of development, this theory has still not settled down into an agreed form, as it experiences both theoretical difficulties and problems with reconciling new observations. By contrast, the Capture Theory, developed over the last forty years by the author, and supported by recent observations provides a complete description of the formation of the Solar System, including an evolutionary hypothesis that explains the detailed structure of the system. Written in an informative yet accessible manner, this book will appeal to both specialist and non-specialist readers alike.

Review

Several aspects of this book are very likeable. The author provides pictures of some folks whom one doesn't often see. There is a careful discussion of the work of some non-Anglophone astronomers, including Otto Schmidt and Victor Safronov, who are often neglected in English-language studies of planet formation. -- The Observatory Magazine "The Observatory Magazine"