12. The Major Planets

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. Contents VII
3. Acknowledgments IX
4. Introduction 1
5. 1. In the Beginning 3
6. 2. The Spinning Earth 11
7. 3. The Earth Stands Alone 16
8. 4. Nevertheless, it Moves 24
9. 5. The Authority of Law 36
10. 6. The Origin of the Solar System 42
11. 7. Creation, Antiquity, and Time 47
12. 8. Stellar Encounters 57
13. 9. The Solar System 62
14. 10. The Sun 76
15. 11. The Terrestrial Planets 81
16. 12. The Major Planets 92
17. 13. Moons, Asteroids, and Meteorites 104
18. 14. Rogue Star 117
19. 15. The Inefficient Universe 125
20. 16. Stellar Condensation 137
21. 17. Observing the Nebular Disk 151
22. 18. Accreting Planetesimals and Dissipating Protoplanets 158
23. 19. Inside the Earth 165
24. 20. Accretion and Differentiation 173
25. 21. Maidenhead Revisited 188
26. 22. Xenology: The Age of the Elements 196
27. 23. The Cuckoo’s Nest 211
28. 24. Aggregation 223
29. 25. Things Invisible to See 229
30. 26. Go and Find a Fecund Star 235
31. Index 267