Authors: Dava Sobel
The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable.
Adams, John Couch, 192
n
–98
Airy, Sir George Biddel, 193
n
, 195
Allan Hills 84001, 120–25
Almagest
(Ptolemy), 33–34, 71
Alpha Regio (Venus), 65
Ancient era
Jupiter in, 145
Mercury in, 30–34
Venus in, 55–56
Anemone volcanoes, 68
Antoniadi, Eugène, 44–45
Aphrodite (Greek goddess), 56
Aphrodite Terra (Venus), 64
Apollo (Greek god), 31
Apollo
missions, 8, 102–3, 117
Apollonia (Mercury), 44
Arachnoids, 68
Ares Vallis (Mars), 134
Argus (Greek monster), 31
Aristotle, 33
Asteroids
asteroid belt, 17
Ceres, 218
formation of, 16–17
Astrology
Jupiter in, 141–45, 150–51, 155–56
split from astronomy, 143
Auroras, 26
Balboa, Vasco Núñez, 81
Bay of Rainbows (Moon), 108
Beagle
, 92–96
Beta Regio (Venus), 65
Big Bang, 14–16
Bode, Johann Elert, 187
n
–88
Brahe, Tycho, 38
Caduceata (Mercury), 44
Callisto (moon of Jupiter), 157–58
Caloris Basin (Mercury), 47
Cassini
mission, 175, 231–34
Cassini, Jean-Dominique, 171–72, 177, 233
Ceres (asteroid), 218
Charon (moon of Pluto)
discovery of, 8–9, 217
orbit with Pluto, 221–22
surface features, 224–25
Chinese astrology, 150–51
Chronometers, 92–93
Chryse (Mars), 133
Columbus, Christopher, 77–81
Comets, 108–10
formation of, 22–23
Miss Mitchell’s, 181–82
Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 10, 152–53
Cook, James, 90–93
Copernicus, 34, 37–38, 82–84, 143, 165
Cordelia (moon of Uranus), 203
Cox, Harold, 168–69
Cyllene (Mercury), 44
Darwin, Charles, 92–96
Deimos (moon of Mars), 130
Desdemona (moon of Uranus), 203
Despina (moon of Neptune), 207
Dog Star, 73
Earth, 71–99
age of exploration, 75–84
continental shifts, 96–98
core, rotation of, 98
formation of, 17–18
magnetism of, 85–87
mapping of, 72–88
rotation, decrease in, 114–15
scientific exploration (1698–1912), 86–96
tectonic plates, 97–98
Earth-lock, 113–14
Earthquakes, 97–98
Eclipse, 27–28
Einstein, Albert, 43
Encke, Johann Franz, 177, 182
n
Erathosthenes, 74
Europa (moon of Jupiter), 157–59, 161
Evros Valles (Mars), 134
Exoplanets, 9–11
FitzRoy, Robert, 93
Flammarion, Camille, 42
Flamsteed, John, 189, 189
n
Galápagos Islands, 93–95
Galatea (moon of Neptune), 207
Galileo, 53, 140–46, 170, 175–77
Galileo
mission, 153–62
Galle, Johann Gottfried, 194–97
Ganymede (moon of Jupiter), 157–58
Gassendi, Pierre, 39–40
Genesis, 13, 16, 26
Genesis Rock, 124
Geographia
(Ptolemy), 72–75
Gilbert, William, 85–86
Gravity
moon and tides, 111–14
of Sun, 19–20
Great Red Spot (Jupiter), 147
Greeks, ancient, 31–34
Habitable zone, 20
Halleyan lines, 87
Halley, Edmond, 86–89
Harmonice Mundi
(Kepler), 166
Heliopause, 26
Herschel, Caroline Lucretia, 180, 181
n
–201
Herschel, Sir John, 180, 181
n
, 196, 199, 233
Herschel, Sir William, 180, 181
n
–91, 185
n
–86, 190, 199–202, 208
Hindemith, Paul, 166
n
Holst, Gustav, 163–64, 167–68, 179
Hubble Space Telescope, 46, 208, 216
Huygens, Christiaan, 168–69, 232–33
Huygens
probe, 232–34
Ice
of Neptune, 197–98
of Pluto, 20, 224–25
of Uranus, 197–98
Ice dwarfs, 219
Ingersoll, Andy, 229–30
Io (moon of Jupiter), 157–59
Ishtar (Chaldean goddess), 55
Ishtar Terra (Venus), 64
Ixion (Kuiper Belt object), 220
Juliet (moon of Uranus), 203
Jupiter, 140–62
in astrology, 141–45, 150–51, 155–56
bands of, 146–47
chemical composition of, 146–49, 153, 155
clouds of, 144–48, 155
energy released by, 148, 156
formation of, 17, 153–55
Galileo
probe, 153–62
Galileo sighting, 140–46
Great Red Spot, 147
magnetic field, 150, 159
moisture of, 155–57
in night sky, 22
orbit of, 150–51
and Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 10, 152–53
rings of, 178
rotation of, 150, 159
satellites of, 146, 157–59
size of, 145, 204
winds of, 155
Kepler, Johannes, 38–39, 88
n
, 157
n
, 165–66
Klaproth, Martin Heinrich, 188
n
Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs), 219–20, 225–27
Kuiper, Gerard, 207, 219–21, 225–27
Lacus Timorus (Moon), 108
Lada Terra (Venus), 64
Larissa (moon of Neptune), 207
Lassell, William, 198
n
, 207
Lebreton, Jean-Pierre, 232
Leonardo da Vinci, 105
Leverrier, Urbain Jean-Joseph, 41–42, 192
n
–98
Lomonosov, Mikhail, 57
Lowell, Percival, 212–14
Ma’adim Vallis (Mars), 134
Magellan, Ferdinand, 81–82
Magellan
mission, 64–69
Magnetism
of compass, 85–86
of Earth, 85–89
of Jupiter, 150, 159
Mappa mundi, 75–77
Mariner 9
, 134
Mariner 10
, 46–47
Marius, Simon, 157
n
Mars, 120–39
life on, 128–32
meteorite from, 120–25
moons of, 130
orbit of, 130
polar caps, 126, 135
rotation of, 129–30
scientific exploration of, 133–36
surface features, 125–27
surface toxicity, 136–37
temperature of, 130
terraforming, 137–38
water on, 127
winds of, 125–26
Mars
(Lowell), 213
Mars Hill, 213–14
Marsh of Sleep (Moon), 108
Maskelyne, Neville, 183–84
n
, 186
Maxwell, James Clerk, 65–66, 172–73
Maxwell Montes (Venus), 65
Medicean stars, 141–43, 157
n
Medici, Cosimo de’, 141–42
Mercury, 29–48
ancient concept of, 30–34
formation of, 16
mapping of, 45–45, 48
Mariner 10
photos, 46–47
MESSENGER
, 47–48
in mythology, 29–31
orbit of, 2, 34–35, 45
proximity to Sun, 34
rotation of, 35, 45
surface features, 46–47
temperature of, 20, 35–36
transit of (1631), 38–40
visibility from Earth, 36–37, 43–46
Mercury (Roman god), 29–31
MESSENGER
, 47–48
Meteorites
age determination, 124
Allan Hills 84001 from Mars, 120–25
Willamette Valley (Oregon), 6–7
Milky Way, 15
Mimas (moon of Saturn), 177
Mitchell, Maria, 65, 180–82
Moon, 100–119
Apollo
missions, 8, 102–3, 117
dryness of, 108–11
Earth-lock, 113–14
and eclipse, 27–28
far side, 117–18
formation of, 17–18, 110–11
illumination by Sun, 22, 116–17
micro-meteorite showers, 118–19
phases of, 105–7, 116–17
rotation of, 113–14
surface features, 102–3, 111, 118
synchronization with Earth, 114–15
and tides, 111–14
Mundilfari (moon of Saturn), 233
n
Music
connection to astronomy, 164–68
planet-inspired, 162–63, 166
n
–69
Naiad (moon of Neptune), 207
Neptune, 195–99
chemical composition of, 204–5
discovery of, 41, 195–97
formation of, 17
heat generated by, 206–7
as ice planet, 20, 204–5
magnetic field of, 205
moons of, 198, 207
in night sky, 22
orbit of, 198
n
relationship to Uranus, 197–99, 209–10, 217
rings of, 178, 207–8
rotation of, 206
size of, 204
Voyager 2
, 207–8
Nereid (moon of Neptune), 207
New Horizons
, 225
Newton, Sir Isaac, 41, 43, 145
Oberon (moon of Uranus), 203
Ocean of Storms (Moon), 108
Olympus Mons (Mars), 126
Ophelia (moon of Uranus), 203
Pan (moon of Saturn), 233
Pangaea, 96
Panthalassa, 96
Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, 152–53
Peters, Christian, 42
Phobos (moon of Mars), 130
Pigafetta, Antonio, 82
Pioneer 10
, 8
Planetai
(wanderers), 31
Planets
creation of, 16–17
Greek conception of, 31–33
heated by Sun, 20
speed and Sun, 20
See also individual planets
Planets, Suite for Orchestra
(Holst), 162–63, 167–69
Plato, 33, 165
Planetesimals, 16–18, 225–26
Pluto, 211–28
atmosphere of, 223–24
discovery of, 209, 214–16
formation of, 17
as frozen planet, 20, 224–25
Pluto (
cont
.)
illumination by Sun, 224
in Kuiper Belt, 219–21, 225–27
moon of, 8–9, 217, 221–23
New Horizons
, 225
orbit of, 220–21
rotation of, 221
status as planet, 9, 217–19
surface features, 224
viewing difficulty, 22, 216–17
Principia Mathematica
(Newton), 41
Proteus (moon of Neptune), 207
Protoplanetary disks, 179
Proto-solar nebula, 15–16
Ptolemy, 33–34, 40, 71–75
Pythagoras, 164–65, 175
Quaoar (Kuiper Belt object), 220
Ring systems
and cosmic design, 179
Jupiter, 178
Neptune, 178, 207–8
Saturn.
See
Saturnian rings
Uranus, 178, 181–204, 209
Roche, Edouard, 174
Roche zone, 174
Saturn, 168–79
Cassini
, 175, 229–34
chemical composition of, 169, 178
formation of, 17
magnetic field, 178
moons of, 174–77
rings of.
See
Saturnian rings
rotation of, 178
size of, 204
Saturnian rings, 168–72
Cassini Division, 171, 177
composition of, 169
constant changes to, 178–79
discovery of, 170–71
edgewise, 169–70
Encke Division, 177
formation of, 173–74
Galileo’s observation of, 170
Huygens’s diagram of, 171
Maxwell’s concept of, 172–73
size of, 168
Schiaparelli, Giovanni, 43–45
Sea of Calm (Moon), 108
Sea of Crises (Moon), 107
Sedna (planetoid), 227
Shooting stars, 23
n
Solar minimum/maximum, 24–25
Solar System
development of, 14–16
division of, 16–17
habitable zone, 20
planets, formation of, 16–17
third zone, 219
Solar wind, 25–26
Solitudo Hermae Trismegisti (Mercury), 44–45
Spring tides, 112–13
Sputnik
, 7–8
Star formation, and Big Bang, 14–15
Sun, 13–28
aging of, 18–19
creation of, 15–16
light of, 23–24
planets, heating of, 20
rotation of, 25
size of, 19
solar wind, 25–26
and speed of planets, 20
sunspots, 24–25
total solar eclipse, 27–28
Systema Saturnium
(Huygens), 171
Tectonic plates, 97–98
Terraforming, 137–38
Terra Incognita, 91
Tesserae (Venus), 68
Thalassa (moon of Neptune), 207
Thales of Meletus, 33
Tides and moon, 111–14
Titan (moon of Saturn), 220, 232–33
Titania (moon of Uranus), 203
Tombaugh, Clyde, 205, 214–16
Triton (moon of Neptune), 198
n
, 207
Two New Sciences
(Galileo), 175
Uranus, 180–93, 199–210
acceleration/deceleration, 197–98
chemical composition of, 204–205
discovery of, 181
n
–91, 183
n
, 201–2
eclipse of star (1977), 202, 209
formation of, 17
as ice planet, 20, 204–205
magnetic field of, 205
moons of, 203–4
naming of, 187–88
in night sky, 22
orbit of, 190–1, 206
relationship to Neptune, 197–99, 209–10, 217
rings of, 178, 201–4, 209
rotation of, 205–6
size of, 204
Uranus telescope, 185
n
Utopia (Mars), 133
Valles Marineris (Mars), 127, 134
Varuna (Kuiper Belt object), 220
Venera
, 69
Venus, 49–70
acid rain of, 61–62
ancient concept of, 55–56
atmosphere of, 59–60, 61–62, 70
brightness of, 50–53
compared to Earth, 57–60
formation of, 16
illumination by Sun, 22, 51
Venus (
cont
.)
Magellan
images, 64–70