Meteorites and their Parent Planets

Thoroughly revised second edition of a highly successful book describing all aspects of meteorites.

Harry Y. McSween (Author)

9780521583039, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 February 1999

324 pages, 150 b/w illus. 1 table
23.4 x 15.6 x 1.9 cm, 0.63 kg

'The first edition provided one of the initial sparks to my interest in meteorites, and this new book is no less inspiring. This book is up to date, broad in focus, and confidently written by an author with a deep understanding of his subject. It is a must for the bookshelf of every planetary scientist, as well as being of interest to students and scientists from other disciplines. The easy writing style would also make it an enjoyable read for an interested amateur or bright teenager.' Sara Russell, The Observatory

Meteorites and Their Parent Planets provides an engrossing overview of a highly interdisciplinary field - the study of extraterrestrial materials. The second edition of this successful book has been thoroughly revised, and describes the nature of meteorites, where they come from, and how they get to Earth. Meteorites offer important insights into processes in stars and in interstellar regions, the birth of our solar system, the formation and evolution of planets and smaller bodies, and the origin of life. The first edition was immensely popular with meteorite collectors, scientists and science students in many fields, and amateur astronomers. In this second edition all of the illustrations have been updated and improved, many sections have been expanded and modified based on discoveries in the last decade, and a new final chapter on the importance of meteorites has been added. Everyone with an interest in meteorites will want a copy of this book.

Preface
1. Introduction to meteorites
2. Chondrites
3. Chondrite parent bodies
4. Achondrites
5. Achondrite parent bodies
6. Iron and stony-iron meteorites
7. Iron and stony-iron parent bodies
8. A space odyssey
9. The importance of meteorites: some examples
Appendix of minerals
Glossary
Index.

Subject Areas: Solar system: the Sun & planets [PGS]