Solar System Planets

In General > s.a. earth; history of astronomy; orbits of gravitating bodies [including cosmological effects].
* Formation: Probably together with, or shortly after a star, from leftover gas and dust, by formation and merger of protoplanets; Turbulent and poorly understood; However, it seems that planet formation is easy, and is a mechanism for loss of angular momentum for the star.
* History: In the III cy BC Epicurus wrote to Herodotus about the infinitely many worlds, probably inhabited; According to Aristotelians a moving body could not be the center of another movement; When Galileo discovered Jupiter's satellites, some said that they were illusions created by the telescope (others laughed).
* Prebiological conditions: Titan (Saturn), Europa (Jupiter).
@ General references: NS(90)feb10 insert; issue pw(97)oct; Morrison & Owen 03 [II]; Sobel 05 [r pw(05)oct].
@ Jovian planets: Miner PT(90)jul [Voyager 2]; Sukoriansky et al PRL(02) [cloud bands and energy dissipation].
@ Formation and evolution: Ida et al ap/99/ApJ [early solar system]; Malhotra SA(99)sep [migration]; Rafikov AJ(03)ap/02, AJ(03)ap/02, AJ(03)ap/02; news pw(06)sep [terrestrial planet formation and jovian migration]; Herndon ap/06 [against migration]; Woolfson 07; Youdin a0807-ln [from grains to planetesimals].
@ Related topics: McBreen & Hanlon ap/99/A&A [GRB's]; Korycansky et al ASS(01)ap [orbit engineering]; Lefloch ap/02 [orbital parameters]; Jewitt et al SA(06)aug [moons]; Soter AJ(06)ap, SA(07)jan, Basri & Brown AREPS(06)ap [definition of planet]; > s.a. Titius-Bode Law.

Individual Planets and Their Satellites > s.a. tests of general relativity with orbits.
@ Mercury: Nelson SA(97)nov; Peale Icarus(05)ap [precession and libration]; Solomon Sci(07)may + pw(07)may [molten core].
@ Venus: Grinspoon ThSc(93)jul [plate tectonics?]; Solomon PT(93)jul [geophysics]; SA(94)apr, 90 [Pioneer]; Bullock & Grinspoon SA(99)mar [climate change]; Fowler & O'Brien PRS(03) [plate tectonics model]; Dick SA(04)may [8 jun 2004 transit]; Taylor pw(08)feb [Venus Express results].
@ Mars: Golombek SA(98)jul [Mars Pathfinder]; Zorpette SA(00)mar, Musser & Alpert SA(00)mar [re going to Mars]; Albee SA(03)jun [landscapes]; Christensen SA(05)jul [diversity]; Hanford & Long ASA(06) [sound propagation]; Bell SA(06)dec [watery past].
@ Jupiter: news PT(96)jul [Io's magnetic field]; Guillot ap/99/PSS [interior]; Pappalardo et al SA(99)oct, Greenberg AS(02) [possible sea and biosphere on Europa]; Johnson SA(00)feb [Galileo mission]; Icarus(04)169#1 [Io], Icarus(05)177#2 [Europa]; Henrard Icarus(05) [Io rotation].
@ Saturn: Lumine AS(94), Lebreton pw(06)feb [Titan]; news Sci(96)apr [updates]; Lunine SA(04)jun, Porco AS(07)jul [Cassini mission]; Freire ap/05 [mystery of Iapetus]; Farmer & Goldreich Icarus(06) [Prometheus and Pandora]; > s.a. quantum-to-classical transition [Hyperion].
@ Uranus: Parisi et al a0801-A&A [the Great Collision].
@ Neptune: Stern & McKinnon ap/99/AJ [Triton–cratering, activity]Sheehan et al SA(04)dec [prediction and discovery].
@ Pluto: news pn(96)mar [surface imaging by HST]; Yu & Tremaine AJ(99)ap [plutinos].

Related Topics
* Planet X? See books by Sitchin supposedly based on Sumerian records; 2005, Reports that 2003 UB313, Xena, at a 97 AU, is 20% larger than Pluto – and has a moon.

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Send feedback and suggestions to bombelli at olemiss.edu – Modified 8 jul 2008