| Summary: | The space age has given new impetus both to our curiosity about the planets and to our need to know more about them. The techniques of modern astronomy are expanding planetary knowledge at an accelerating rate, and the day is approaching when we will visit other planets. This book discusses, among other things, the many broad areas of disagreement that exist among astronomers regarding the origin, composition, atmospheres and surfaces of the planets. It is concerned particularly with the possibility of life - no matter how primitive it may be - on other planets. The text chapters are accompanied by picture essays, which are designed to be read independently or with the text. For example, Chapter 1, "The Discover of the Solar System," surveys the evolution of man's thinking about the planets, while the picture essay, "Solving the Riddle of the Heavens," analyzes the changing concepts of the solar system.
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