The Trans-Neptunian Solar System is a timely reference highlighting the state-of-the-art in current knowledge on the outer solar system. It not only explores the individual objects being discovered there, but also their relationships with other Solar System objects and their roles in the formation and evolution of the Solar System and other planets. Integrating important findings from recent missions, such as New Horizons and Rosetta, the book covers the physical properties of the bodies in the Trans-Neptunian Region, including Pluto and other large members of the Kuiper Belt, as well as dynamical indicators for Planet 9 and related objects and future prospects.
Offering a complete look at exploration and findings in the Kuiper Belt and the rest of the outer solar system beyond Neptune, this book is an important resource to bring planetary scientists, space scientists and astrophysicists up-to-date on the latest research and current understandings.
- Provides the most up-to-date information on the exploration of the Trans-Neptunian Solar System and what it means for the future of outer solar system research
- Contains clear sections that provide comprehensive coverage on the most important facets of the outer Solar System
- Includes four-color images and data from important missions, including New Horizons and Rosetta
- Concludes with suggestions and insights on the future of research on Trans-Neptunian objects
Dina K. Prialnik is a Professor and the Jose Goldenberg Chair in Planetary Physics at Tel Aviv University. Her research interests include theoretical studies of comets, the thermal evolution of Mars, the structure and evolution of icy satellites and stars, and Nova outbursts. She is the author of a book and more than 90 journal articles on these topics. She is Vice President of the International Astronomical Union, Associate Editor of Meteoritics and Planetary Sciences, and has an asteroid named for her.
Antonella Barucci is a planetary astrophysicist at the Observatoire de Paris, specialist in the exploration of the solar system. She studies the chemical and physical nature of the primitive bodies of the solar system. In 2017 she received the NASA Silver Achievement Medal for her contributions to the astronomical characterization of the asteroid Bennu. She has worked on several space missions, including Cassini-Hugyens, Rosetta, and Dawn. Currently she is co-investigator of BepiColombo, Hayabusa2, and OSIRIS-REx.
Dr. Leslie Young received her Ph.D. from MIT in 1994, and has devoted her career to the study of the outer solar system, in particular the dwarf planet Pluto and its surroundings. She worked at NASA Ames Research Center and Boston University, prior to joining the staff of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado in 1999. She has worked extensively on the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, including serving as a Deputy Project Scientist and Team Lead for Pluto Encounter Planning. She has published over 100 articles.
