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Preface | |
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The Urge to Explore | |
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The Exploration of Planet Earth | |
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Visionaries and Rocket Scientists | |
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Principles of Rocketry and Space Navigation | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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From Speculation to Understanding | |
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The Geocentric Cosmology of Ancient Greece | |
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The Scientific Method | |
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Units of Measurement | |
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Distance | |
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Time | |
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Velocity and Speed | |
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Mass | |
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Temperature | |
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Pressure | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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The Planets of the Solar System | |
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The Sun and the Planets of the Solar System | |
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The Titius-Bode Rule | |
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Average Orbital Velocities | |
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Surface Temperatures | |
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Bulk Densities | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Life and Death of Stars | |
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The Big Bang | |
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Stellar Evolution | |
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Nucleosynthesis | |
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The Milky Way Galaxy | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Origin of the Solar System | |
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The Solar Nebula | |
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Origin of the Sun and Planets | |
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The Sun | |
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Internal Structure | |
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Energy Production | |
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Magnetism and Sunspots | |
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Effect on Space | |
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Life and Death of the Sun | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Earth: Model of Planetary Evolution | |
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Growth from Planetesimals | |
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Internal Differentiation | |
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Atmosphere | |
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Interior of the Earth | |
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Temperature | |
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Melting of Peridotite | |
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Mantle Plumes | |
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Plate Tectonics | |
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Magnetic Field | |
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Interactions with the Solar Wind | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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The Clockwork of the Solar System | |
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The Pioneers of Astronomy | |
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Elliptical Orbits of Planets | |
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Eccentricity | |
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Average Distance | |
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Revolution and Rotation | |
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Plane of the Ecliptic | |
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Axial Obliquity | |
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Conjunctions and Oppositions | |
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Sidereal and Synodic Periods of Revolution | |
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Solar and Lunar Eclipses | |
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Orbital Velocities | |
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Launching Satellites into Orbit | |
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Lagrange Points | |
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Celestial Mechanics of the Earth | |
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Rising and Setting of the Sun | |
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Change in the Period of Rotation | |
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Seasons of the Northern Hemisphere | |
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The Earth at Summer Solstice | |
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Autumnal and Vernal Equinoxes | |
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Milankovitch Cycles | |
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The Gregorian Calendar | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Meteorites and Impact Craters | |
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Classification and Mineralogy of Meteorites | |
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Carbonaceous Chondrites | |
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Tektites | |
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Meteorite Parent Bodies | |
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Celestial Mechanics | |
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Falls and Finds | |
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Age Determinations | |
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Meteorite Impacts | |
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Formation of Craters | |
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Classification of Craters | |
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Modification of Craters | |
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Frequency of Impacts | |
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Environmental Consequences (Tunguska, 1908) | |
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Meteor Crater: Memorial to E.M. Shoemaker | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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The Earth-Moon System | |
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Landforms of the Lunar Surface | |
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Highlands | |
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Maria | |
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Impact Craters | |
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Regolith | |
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Water | |
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Isotopic Dating | |
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Geology of the Near Side | |
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Lunar Meteorites | |
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Internal Structure | |
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Origin of the Moon | |
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Celestial Mechanics | |
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Spin-Orbit Coupling | |
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Lunar Orbit | |
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Tides | |
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Ocean Tides | |
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Body Tides | |
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Research Stations on the Moon | |
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Weighing the Risks and Benefits | |
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Utilization of Lunar Resources | |
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Space Law | |
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United Nations: Laws for States | |
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NASA: Code of Conduct for Astronauts | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Mercury: Too Hot for Comfort | |
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Surface Features | |
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Impact Craters and Cliffs | |
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Regolith | |
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Atmosphere | |
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Water | |
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Surface Temperatures | |
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Internal Structure | |
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Iron Core | |
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Magnetic Field | |
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Geological Activity | |
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Origin of Mercury | |
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Celestial Mechanics | |
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Spin-Orbit Coupling | |
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The Solar Transit | |
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Rotation of the Long Axis of the Orbit | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Venus; Planetary Evolution Gone Bad | |
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Surface Features | |
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Geological Processes | |
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Volcanic Activity | |
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Tectonic Activity | |
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Impact Craters | |
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Atmosphere and Climate | |
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Chemical Composition and Structure | |
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Circulation | |
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Greenhouse Warming | |
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Evolution of the Surface Environment | |
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Carbon Cycles of Venus and the Earth | |
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Internal Structure | |
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The Core and Magnetism | |
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Episodic Resurfacing | |
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Celestial Mechanics | |
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Retrograde Rotation | |
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Phases, Conjunctions, and Transits | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Mars: The Little Planet that Could | |
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Origin and Properties | |
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Origin by Accretion of Planetesimals | |
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Physical and Chemical Properties | |
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Evolution of the Atmosphere | |
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Orbit of Mars | |
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Surface Features: Northern Hemisphere | |
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Tharsis Plateau | |
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Olympus Mons | |
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Young Lava Flows | |
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Valles Marineris | |
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Utopia Planitia | |
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Soil of Utopia and Chryse | |
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Surface Features: Southern Hemisphere | |
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Hellas Impact Basin | |
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Argyre Impact Basin | |
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Isidis Impact Basin | |
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Timescale for Mars | |
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Volcanoes of the Southern Hemisphere | |
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Syrtis Major Volcano | |
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Hespera Planum | |
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Hadriaca Patera | |
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Stream Valleys | |
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Nanedi Vallis | |
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Nirgal Vallis | |
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Vedra Valles | |
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Impact Craters | |
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Martian Meteorites | |
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Water on Mars | |
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Hydrologic Cycle | |
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Phase Diagrams of Water and Carbon Dioxide | |
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Polar Ice Caps | |
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Mountain Glaciers and Continental Ice Sheets | |
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Life on Mars | |
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Origin and Preservation | |
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Search for Life (Vikings) | |
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Search for Life (ALH 84001) | |
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Search for Life (Rovers) | |
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Colonization of Mars | |
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Travel to Mars | |
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First Steps | |
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Terraforming | |
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Satellites | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Asteroids: Shattered Worlds | |
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Classification | |
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Spectral Types | |
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Orbits of the Asteroids | |
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Physical Properties and Celestial Mechanics | |
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First Landings | |
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Eros | |
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Braille | |
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Itokawa | |
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Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) | |
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Torino Scale | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Jupiter: Heavy-Weight Champion | |
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Physical and Orbital Properties | |
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Physical Properties | |
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Orbital Properties | |
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Atmosphere | |
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Satellites and Rings | |
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Regular Satellites | |
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Rings of Jupiter | |
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The Spacecraft Galileo | |
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Impact of Comet Shoemaker - Levy 9 | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Galilean Satellites: Jewels of the Solar System | |
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Physical Properties and Celestial Mechanics | |
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Physical Properties | |
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Celestial Mechanics | |
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Origin: Alternative Hypotheses | |
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Io, the Hyperactive Princess | |
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Volcanoes | |
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Plumes | |
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Surface Features | |
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Interactions with Jupiter | |
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Summary | |
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Europa, the Ice Princess | |
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Ice Crust and Ocean | |
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Impact Craters | |
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Chaotic Terrains | |
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Life in the Ocean | |
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Summary | |
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Ganymede in the Middle | |
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Ice Crust | |
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Rejuvenation | |
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A Conjecture | |
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Summary | |
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Callisto, Left Out in the Cold | |
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Physical Properties | |
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Impact Craters | |
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Differential Sublimation | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Saturn: The Beauty of Rings | |
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Physical Properties | |
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Atmosphere | |
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Internal Structure | |
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Celestial Mechanics | |
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The Rings | |
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The Satellites | |
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Ring Satellites | |
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Main Group | |
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Trans-Titanian Satellites | |
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Bulk Densities and Diameters | |
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Surface Features of the Regular Satellites | |
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Mimas | |
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Enceladus | |
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Tethys and Dione | |
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Ammonia-Water Lava | |
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Rhea and Hyperion | |
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Iapetus and Phoebe | |
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The Cassini-Huygens Mission | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Titan: An Ancient World in Deep Freeze | |
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Physical and Orbital Properties | |
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Atmosphere | |
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Chemical Composition | |
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Structure | |
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Huygens Lands on Titan | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Uranus: What Happened Here? | |
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Physical and Orbital Properties | |
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Physical Properties | |
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Orbital Properties | |
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Atmosphere | |
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Internal Structure | |
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Rings | |
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Satellites | |
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Small Satellites | |
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Classical Satellites | |
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What Happened to Uranus? | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Neptune: More Surprises | |
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Surprises Revealed by Voyager 2 | |
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Physical and Orbital Properties | |
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Atmosphere | |
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Internal Structure | |
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Rings | |
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Satellites | |
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Small Satellites | |
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Triton | |
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Nereid | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Pluto and Charon: The Odd Couple | |
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Physical Properties | |
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Orbital Properties | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Ice Worlds at the Outer Limit | |
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Principals of the Ice Worlds | |
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Eris (2003 UB 313) | |
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Sedna (2003 VB 12) | |
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Quaoar (2002 LM 60) | |
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Ixion (2001 KX76) | |
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Varuna (2000 WR106) | |
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Structure of the E-K Belt | |
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The Oort Cloud | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Comets: Coming Inside from the Cold | |
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Anatomy of Comets | |
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Sources of Comets | |
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Short-Period Comets | |
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Long-Period Comets | |
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Hyakutake | |
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Hale-Bopp | |
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Meteor Showers and IDPs | |
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Close Encounters | |
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Giacobini-Zinner in 1985 | |
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Halley in 1986 | |
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Borelly in 1999 | |
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Wild 2 in 2004 | |
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Tempel 1 in 2005 | |
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Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014 | |
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Chemical Composition | |
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Summary | |
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Science Briefs | |
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Problems | |
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Further Reading | |
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Earth: The Cradle of Humans | |
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Origin of Life | |
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Panspermia | |
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Miller-Urey Experiment | |
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Mineral Catalysts | |
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Cradle of Life | |
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Importance of the Biosphere | |
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Atmosphere | |
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Sedimentary Rocks | |
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Fossil Fuels | |
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Humans | |
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Tales of Doom | |
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Evolution of the Sun | |
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Impacts | |
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Suicide | |
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Summary | |
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Further Reading | |
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Brown-Dwarf Stars and Extrasolar Planets | |
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Methods of Discovery | |
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Doppler Spectroscopy | |
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Occultation | |
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Brown-Dwarf Stars | |
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Extrasolar Planets | |
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Voyage to the Stars | |
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Nearby Stars | |
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Habitable Planets | |
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Voyage to Proxima Centauri | |
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SETI and the Drake Equation | |
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SETI | |
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The Drake Equation | |
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Summary | |
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Further Reading | |
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Mathematical Equations Used in Astronomy | |
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Summaries of Physical and Orbital Parameters | |
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The Planets and Satellites of the Solar System | |
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Orbital Properties of Asteroids | |
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Orbital Properties of Selected Comets | |
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Glossary | |
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Author Index | |
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Subject Index | |