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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000000652002 | QB605.P58 1990 f | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
Planetary Mapping describes the history and process of mapping planets and satellites beyond the Earth. Mapping planetary bodies is a unique process much different from ordinary terrestrial cartography. Although many kinds of imaging systems have been launched into interplanetary space, nearly all of them were designed for purposes other than map-making. Thus, special mapping techniques described in this book had to be invented to make use of images from space. Furthermore, planets and satellites are difficult to depict in maps. For instance, unlike on Earth, on planetary bodies there are no shorelines, rivers, roads or political boundaries to guide the map-maker. The book begins with an introduction to the differences between terrestrial and planetary mapping and continues with a general discussion of the history of planetary mapping. The fundamentals of cartographic techniques are described in detail in the next chapter. This is followed by sections on planetary nomenclature, geodetic considerations, and topographic and geologic mapping.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
During recent years, spacecraft have visited 25 members of the solar system and have sent back a variety of information. We have all seen the images of these planets and satellites, but usually are unaware of how the observations are transformed into pictures and then into charts. The various chapters in this book provide an an introduction into the new techniques of planetary cartography and the present state of our mapping in the solar system. The book begins with a historical survey of planetary cartograpy from 1600, when the first moon map appeared, to the recently commenced Galileo and Magellan missions. The chapter on nomenclature details the long history of giving names to everything from planetary satellites to planetary features. (To avoid chaos in giving names, international agreements have been established so that now, e.g., features on Tethys are named after people and places in Homer's Odyssey.) More technical chapters discuss the problems of cartography and determining coordinate system for the planets and their satellites. Topographical maps are much more difficult to obtain and are available only for the Moon, Mars, and Venus. This book brings together a great deal of information about planetary exploration; there are good discussions about each planetary mission and what it accomplished. Faculty will find it a useful introduction to the field with many references to the original literature, and undergraduates can read most of the material with ease. An appendix lists currently available maps and formats compiled by the US Geological Survey. -H. Albers, Vassar College
Table of Contents
| Preface |
| List of contributors |
| 1 IntroductionR. Greeley and R. M. Batson |
| 2 History of planetary cartographyR. M. Batson and E. A. Whitaker and D. E. Wilhelms |
| 3 CartographyR. M. Batson |
| 4 Planetary nomenclatureM. E. Strobell and H. Masursky |
| 5 Geodetic controlM. E. Davies |
| 6 Topographic mappingS. S. C. Wu and F. J. Doyle |
| 7 Geologic mappingD. E. Wilhelms |
| AppendicesR. M. Batson and J. L. Inge |
| Index |
