Everyone knows the names of the planets. Even people who haven’t the slightest interest in astronomy will recall some Solar System rhyme they memorized in childhood, or follow the influence of a certain planet in their horoscope. Maybe they see Mars, Venus and the rest as the gods of ancient myth or the settings for science fiction scenarios. This book visits each of the other worlds through a different portal, from poetry to UFOlogy, showing how the planets came to Earth.

Reviews

“In Dava Sobel’s warm, whimsical portrait album of the nine planets, with the Moon thrown in for good measure…Each planet has a personality, a face, and a rich inner life.”—The New York Times

“Playful…lyrical…a guided tour so imaginative that we forget we’re being educated while we’re being entertained.”—Newsweek

“A splendid and enticing book.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Sobel is at her best as a landscape painter, employing hypnotically clear vision to place us on Mercury, or Saturn, or in the distant, frozen Kuiper Belt.”—The Boston Globe

Images

Please note, the imaginative color illustrations created by space artist Lynette Cook appear only in the paperback edition of The Planets.