Overview
Join Bonnie J. Buratti, a leading planetary astronomer, on this personal tour of NASA's latest discoveries. Moving through the Solar System from Mercury, Venus, Mars, past comets and asteroids and the moons of the giant planets, to Pluto, and on to exoplanets, she gives vivid descriptions of landforms that are similar to those found on Earth but that are more fantastic. Sulfur-rich volcanoes and lakes on Io, active gullies on Mars, huge ice plumes and tar-like deposits on the moons of Saturn, hydrocarbon rivers and lakes on Titan, and nitrogen glaciers on Pluto are just some of the marvels that await readers. Discover what it is like to be involved in a major scientific enterprise, with all its pitfalls and excitement, from the perspective of a female scientist. This engaging account of modern space exploration is written for non-specialist readers, from students in high school to enthusiasts of all ages.
Full Product Details
Author: Bonnie J. Buratti (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781009690119
ISBN 10: 1009690116
Pages: 265
Publication Date: 24 July 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available, will be POD
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon it's release. This is a print on demand item which is still yet to be released.
Reviews
'This book is a delight … The narrative is, throughout, engaging. We, her readers, can be grateful.' G. T. Dempsey, GeoLounge (www.geolounge.com) 'This engaging account of modern space exploration is written for non-specialist readers, from students in high school to enthusiasts of all ages.' Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin 'As befits a scientist who grew up under the tutelage of Carl Sagan, the author's devotion to educational outreach is made clear throughout, as she endeavours to communicate to the next generation of students the wonder and joy of science and the enterprise of discovery. … The text is clearly written and accessible to anyone with a modicum of scientific education. There are numerous black-and-white illustrations, some of which are also reproduced in a separate colour section. This enjoyable account achieves its objective of informing the lay reader about 'the final frontier', and it may well encourage some up-and-coming scientists to delve deeper into the secrets of distant worlds.' Peter Bond, The Observatory
Author Information
Bonnie J. Buratti is a Senior Research Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. With expertise on icy moons, comets and asteroids, she holds degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University, New York. She is currently serving on the Cassini and New Horizons science teams, and is the US Project Scientist for Rosetta. She is a past Chair of the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society, and advises NASA. The author of over 200 scientific papers, Buratti was awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and the International Astronomical Union named asteroid 90502 'Buratti' in recognition of her work.
