United States
£ GBP
A key issue for appreciating and exploiting the wealth of astronomical data and images gathered during the space age; this book reinforces public awareness of modern celestial mechanics. It provides an interdisciplinary cross section of all celestial mechanics, explaining the issues without the use of mathematics. This makes it suitable for both popular- science enthusiasts and academic libraries. After giving readers the technical tools needed for a basic understanding of the underlying physical phenomena (using only elementary mathematics), facts and figures are provided on historical events, modern discoveries and future applications.
Around and Around.- Three Bodies and No Solution.- Waltz of the Planets.- Cosmic Spinning Tops.- Our Chaotic Solar System.- Of Moon and Man.- Rock Around the Planets.- The Edge of the Solar System and Beyond.
From the reviews: "Celletti (Universita di Roma 'Tor Vergata') and Perozzi (Telespazio Rome) present a complicated subject in an engaging manner that is accessible to general readers. The writing is clear and authoritative, and the diagrams and tables help the nonexpert reader to visualize the key ideas without having to wade through the mathematics usually found in a book on this subject. ! Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates." (T. Barker, CHOICE, Vol. 44 (11), August, 2007) "The celestial mechanics can be considered as the mathematical part of the astronomy, requiring a high level in mathematics and reserved to specialists ! . The Waltz of the Planets offer a different insight, providing very basic mathematical tools to the reader, sufficient to enable him or her to understand the main topics of celestial planetary dynamics. The purpose is to present this discipline as accessible, interesting and amusing ! . A book to recommand to students, astronomers ! and celestial mechanicians." (Anne Lemaitre, Physicalia Magazine, Vol. 30 (1), 2008)
