Hey, Kitty Slade here. Just hanging out, doing ordinary things. You know, like seeing ghosts. It's been happening for a while now, but this time - this time is different... When Kitty sees a ghost ship, she knows her spooky powers are growing stronger. Plunged into a dark mystery from long a go, she soon encounters Beth, a lost soul who drowned on board. Kitty must uncover the secrets buried at the bottom of the sea - before it's too late...

No serious astronomical library can be complete without it.—Journal of the British Astronomical Association "The book contains the results of the exploration of Venus by spacecraft during the period 1962-1978. . . . The book represents an excellent review of the principal results of Venus in the period covered."—Bulletin of the Astronomical Institute of Czechoslovakia "A wealth of new information."—Science "Strongly recommended."—Science Books & Films

The final orbit of Venus by the Magellan spacecraft in October 1994 brought to a close an exciting period of Venus reconnaissance and exploration. The scientific studies resulting from data collected by the Magellan, Galileo, and Pioneer missions are unprecedented in their detail for any planet except Earth. Venus II re-evaluates initial assessments of Venus in light of these and other spacecraft missions and ground-based observations conducted over the past 30 years. More than a hundred contributors summarize our current knowledge of the planet, consider points of disagreement in interpretation, and identify priorities for future research. Topics addressed include geology, surface processes, volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering, geodynamics, upper and lower atmospheres, and solar wind environment. The diversity of the coverage reflects the interdisciplinary nature of Venus science and the breadth of knowledge that has contributed to it. A CD-ROM developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory accompanies the book and incorporates text, graphics, video, software, and various digital products from selected contributors to the text. A multimedia interface allows users to navigate the text and the extensive databases included on the disk. Venus II is the most authoritative single volume available on the second planet. Its contents will not only help shape the goals of future Venus missions but will also enhance our understanding of current Mars explorations.

Shrouded by the thick clouds of hot, dense atmosphere, the planet Venus - Earth's closest neighbour in space - remained mysterious until recent decades. Today, with data from contemporary observations and from Russian and American spacecraft, Venus has moved into sharper focus. This comprehensive book provides an up-to-date and detailed analysis of the nature of Venus. The authors, experts in planetary science from Russia and the United States, examine all the principal aspects of Venus, with particular attention paid to the planet's formation, the development of a runaway greenhouse effect, and Venus' evolution into a planet completely different from others in our solar system. Integrating data from Galileo, Magellan, Pioneer-Venus, Venera sand other space missions, this book summarizes the history of Venus, covers the atmosphere, geomorphology and tectonic history of the planet, and considers its geology.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 176. With the search for extra-solar planets in full gear, it has become essential to gain a more detailed understanding of the evolution of the other earth-like planets in our own solar system. Space missions to Venus, including the Soviet Veneras, Pioneer Venus, and Magellan, provided a wealth of information about this planet' enigmatic surface and atmosphere, but left many fundamental questions about its origin and evolution unanswered. This book discusses how the study of Venus will aid our understanding of terrestrial and extra-solar planet evolution, with particular reference to surface and interior processes, atmospheric circulation, chemistry, and aeronomy. Incorporating results from the recent European Venus Express mission, Exploring Venus as a Terrestrial Planet examines the open questions and relates them to Earth and other terrestrial planets. The goal is to stimulate thinking about those broader issues as the new Venus data arrive.

From “What is a rock?” to dinosaur fossils and meteorites, this stunning book explores everything you ever wanted to know about rocks and minerals. With its sparkling cover, out-of-this-world artwork from Anna Alanko, and expert content written by two geologists, this is the book all rock-crazy kids need. Rocks are all around us, from explosive volcanoes, magnificent mountains, and sandy deserts, to muddy sea floors, winding river valleys, and even asteroids in outer space! They are also in our computers, smartphones, medicines, buildings, airplanes, and space shuttles. Understanding how rocks form helps us to understand how the Earth and the solar system work, and how the Earth has changed over millions of years and how it might look in the future. This dazzlingly illustrated guide covers every aspect of this important topic: Igneous rocks Sedimentary rocks Fossils Metamorphic rocks Space rocks Gemstones Did you know that there is a bus-sized potassium crystal feldspar in Russia? Or that most of the gold, silver and platinum found at the Earth’s surface is thought to have arrived on meteorites from outer space? Complete with fascinating side notes, an illustrated explanation of the rock cycle, a geological timeline, beautiful images of a vast array of rocks and gems, and a helpful glossary at the back, The Rocking Book of Rocks will captivate and astound rock-lovers of all ages.

This volume is a compilation of the research presented at the International Asteroid Day workshop which was celebrated at Barcelona on June 30th, 2015. The proceedings discuss the beginning of a new era in the study and exploration of the solar system’s minor bodies. International Asteroid Day commemorates the Tunguska event of June 30th, 1908. The workshop’s goal was to promote the importance of dealing proactively with impact hazards from space. Multidisciplinary experts contributed to this discussion by describing the nature of comets and asteroids along with their offspring, meteoroids. New missions to return material samples of asteroids back to Earth such as Osiris-REx and Hayabusa 2, as well as projects like AIM and DART which will test impact deflection techniques for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids encounters were also covered. The proceedings include both an outreach level to popularize impact hazards and a scientific character which covers the latest knowledge on these topics, as well as offering proposals of promising new techniques that will help gain new insights of the properties of these challenging bodies by studying meteoroids and meteorites. Asteroids, comets, meteoroids and meteorites are introduced with descriptions of their nature, origin, and solar system pathways.

A series of increasingly capable spacecraft were sent to explore the inner planets Venus and Mercury. The history of that planetary exploration is traced in this book along with the evolution of sophisticated spacecraft that unveiled long-sought secrets of the planets. The spacecraft were ingenious and reflected the best efforts of talented people working with the available technology of the day. Additionally, this book showcases engineering involved in those capable machines. A consecutive series of 34 planetary spacecraft, which span the time period 1961 to 2021, are described. This includes the unsuccessful missions of several early spacecraft that paved the way for a better understanding of Venus’ hostile environments. This book will describe many successful spacecraft sent to Venus by the Soviet Union and many successful spacecraft sent to Venus and to Mercury by the United States. The recent exploration of Venus by the European Space Agency’s Venus Express and the Japanese spacecraft Akatsuki can also be found in this book. The author draws on over 50 years of experience on aircraft and spacecraft systems to tell the story of these planetary spacecraft. The spacecraft experience includes being the technical lead for the landing radars on the Surveyor and Apollo lunar landers as well as providing analyses for the rendezvous radar for the Space Shuttle. Practical engineering experience is augmented by Master’s degrees in electrical engineering, physics, and business administration.

Are you up to date on the solar system? When the International Astronomical Union redefined the term ""planet,"" Pluto was downgraded to a lower status. New Views of the Solar System 2013 looks at scientists' changing perspectives, with articles on Pluto, the eight chief planets, and dwarf planets, new missions, updates for ongoing missions, newly-discovered moons, and updated tables. Brilliant photos and drawings showcase the planets, asteroids, comets, and more, providing a stunning collection of vivid images.