The Hunt for Planet X New Worlds and the Fate of Pluto

About this book

Ever since the serendipitous discovery of planet Uranus in 1871, astronomers have been hunting for new worlds in the outer regions of our solar system. This exciting and ongoing quest culminating recently in the discovery of hundreds of ice dwarfs in the Kuiper belt, robbed Pluto of its 'planet' status, and led to a better understanding of the origin of the solar system.

This timely book reads like a scientific 'whodunnit', going from the heights of discovery to the depths of disappointment in the hunt for 'Planet X'. Based on many personal interviews with astronomers, the well-known science writer Govert Schilling introduces the heroes in the race to be the first in finding another world, bigger than Pluto.

Contents

A larger solar system [Eise Eisinga].- Eleven planets [Giuseppe Piazzi, Johannes Kepler, Johann Elert Bode, Baron Franz Xaver von Zach, Heinrich Olbers].- The writing desk planet [Elaine Mac-Auliffe, Olin Eggen, George Biddell Airy, John Couch Adams, Urbain Jean-Joseph Le Verrier].- 'I've found your Planet X' [Carl Lampland, Clyde Tombaugh, Percival Lowell, William Pickering].- The kid planet [Venetia Phair-Burney, Venetia Burney, Herbert Turner, Falconer Madan].- A strange and wonderful week [Jim Christy, Bob Harrington].- Fortunate circumstances [Marc Buie].- Nix and Hydra [Max Mutchler, Andrew Steffl].- The unauthorized planet [Charles Kowal].- Uranus: problem solved? [Myles Standish, Tom Van Flandern].- Mysterious forces [Giacomo Giampieri, John Anderson].- The hunt for the Death Star [Richard Muller, Marc Davis, Piet Hut].- The secret planet [Zecharia Sitchin].- Vulcanoids and Earth-grazers [Dan Durda, Alan Stern, David Tholen].- The Kuiper connection [Gerard Kuiper].- Comet puzzles [Martin Duncan, Jan Oort, Julio Fernandez].- Smiley [Dave Jewitt, Jane Luu].- Family portraits [Chad Trujillo].- The migrating planet [Renu Malhotra, Wing-Huen Ip].- Icy treasure troves [Dale Cruikshank, Carl Pilcher, David Rabinowitz].- The big five [Mike Brown].- The tenth planet.- The Spanish invasion [Pablo Santos-Sanz, Jose-Luis Ortiz, Reiner Stoss].- Pas de deux [Robin Canup, Bill McKinnon].- Model from Nice [Hal Levison, Alessandro Morbidelli].- Planet under siege [Brian Marsden, Mike A'Hearn, David Levy].- Planetary elections [Owen Gingerich, Jocelyn Bell Burnell].- The continuing story [Patsy Tombaugh].- A thousand planets [Alan Stern, Brett Gladman].- New Horizons.

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