ABOUT THIS BOOK

A comprehensive, accessible, and stunningly illustrated introduction to these far-off worlds.

The most distant planets in our solar system, Uranus and Neptune were unknown by the ancients—Uranus was discovered in the 1780s and Neptune only in the 1840s. Our discovery and observation of both planets have been hampered by their sheer distance from Earth: there has only been one close encounter, Voyager 2 in the late 1980s. The Voyager mission revealed many enticing details about the planets and their moons but also left many more questions unanswered. This book is an informative and accessible introduction to Uranus, Neptune, and their moons. It takes readers on a journey from discovery to the most recent observations made from space- and ground-based telescopes, and it will appeal to amateur and professional astronomers alike.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Carolyn Kennett is a writer, researcher, historian, and astronomer who lives in Cornwall. She is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and her books include Celestial Stone Circles of West Cornwall.

REVIEWS

"Uranus and Neptune were just points of green blue light until modern times, as the secrets of these two ice giants, located in the cold outer regions of our solar system, have only recently been revealed. Well-designed and lavishly illustrated, Kennett’s book will appeal to anyone wishing to discover more about these elusive, distant worlds. Its pages packed with information, facts, and historical stories will make for a good read on many cloudy nights."

— Gerard Gilligan, chairperson of the Society for the History of Astronomy

"A very concise yet detailed look at Uranus and Neptune. Kennett incorporates the history of the outer planets’ discoveries, details of modern observations from Earth and visiting spacecraft in the late 1970s, and rounds off the book with a practical introduction to how these planets can be observed by the amateur."

— Kevin Kilburn, founder member of the Society for the History of Astronomy, honorary member of Manchester Astronomical Society

"This latest book . . . in Reaktion Books's Kosmos series is a concise summary of our knowledge of both planets, as well as their numerous moons. Neptune is the only planet whose discovery was predicted—a result of perturbations in Uranus's orbit—and the book carefully unpicks the complex tale of this discovery, showing who should be credited with which aspect."

— BBC Sky at Night Magazine

"Kennett manages to make the subject approachable, in large part due to that historical context. . . . A useful addition to this attractive series."

— Popular Science

"Uranus and Neptune are the most distant and mysterious planets in our solar system. Writer and astronomer Carolyn Kennett [writes] about these ice giants, from their discovery, surfaces and orbits to their multiple moons and future exploration."

— The Sunday Post

"Kennett offers a succinct, engaging, and liberally illustrated compendium . . . This volume belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the outer solar system . . . . Planetary scientists and laypersons alike will find this an appealing and informative book.”

— Choice

“Uranus and Neptune certainly packs a lot of information on these two planets in the 216 pages; covering their atmospheres, interiors, magnetic fields, rings, and satellites, to potential future missions . . . The book is very well illustrated [and] provides a good general introduction to both planets.”

— Observatory (UK)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Preface

1. Uranus, Its Discovery and Pre-Voyager Observations

2. Voyager 2 Flypast of Uranus

3. Uranus after Voyager

4. Moons of Uranus

5. Neptune, Its Discovery and Pre-Voyager Observations

6. Voyager 2 Flypast of Neptune

7. Neptune after Voyager

8. Moons of Neptune

9. Observing the Ice Giants

Appendix i: Future Time and Dates and Apparent Magnitude of the Planets at Opposition

Appendix II: Uranus Data

Appendix III: Uranus Ring Data

Appendix IV: Neptune Data

Appendix V: Neptune Ring Data

Appendix VI: Satellites of Uranus

Appendix VII: Satellites of Neptune

References

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Photo Acknowledgements

Index

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