The principal author of this book is Eric H Christiansen, a professor of geology at Brigham Young University. Braxton Spilker joined this effort in 2017 and will provide much needed updates for the chapters on Mercury and Pluto. Watch for them to be released in the first half of 2018. Much of the original content from the original 1990 edition was published by Prentice Hall and written by W. Kenneth Hamblin--he still inspires me today. This online textbook is open for revision at any time. We welcome your suggestions for improvements. Please contact Dr. Eric Christiansen at e.h.christiansen@gmail.com or Braxton Spilker at braxtonspilker@gmail.com with your suggestions.
This E-Book could serve as a text for an introductory college science course or as a supplement to college astronomy or geology courses. The chapters are ordered to provide a logical flow of ideas regarding the development of the planets. After considering some fundamental principles needed to understand the planets, we start with a discussion of the smallest and simplest bodies, the asteroids and meteorites, and their role as building blocks of the inner planets. From there we discuss progressively larger terrestrial planets. We proceed from the Moon to larger and more complex planets Venus and Earth. The outer planets are discussed in the order of their occurrence outward from the Sun. The small bodies of the outer solar system--Pluto and the Kuiper belt as well as comets and the Oort cloud--are considered next. A closing chapter compares the planets by briefly examining the principal processes that have shaped them. Although Chapters 1 and 2 would be most helpful if studied first, the other chapters generally contain enough background material to stand alone or to be used out of sequence.
We have also incorporated several learning aids to help you in your study of the planets. Each chapter begins with a succinct list of the major concepts that should be understood. A preliminary reading of these items will focus your attention on the fundamental principles. Important terms are printed in bold type and are reiterated in a list at the end of each chapter. Thought-provoking questions should guide your review and help you to extrapolate beyond simple repetition of observations. Additional readings are also listed at the end of each chapter for those who wish to explore further on their own. A glossary provides short definitions of terms that may be unfamiliar. The definitions are in accordance with the latest edition of the Glossary of Geology published by the American Geological Institute.
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