THE FORMATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Theories Old and New

by Michael Woolfson (University of York, UK)

Table of Contents (75k)
Introduction (47k)
Chapter 1: Theories Come and Theories Go (94k)

This book traces the development of ideas about the origin of the Solar System from ancient times to the present day. A survey of more modern ideas, covering the last 200 years or so, highlights the difficulties experienced by theories and also points the way towards the development of a more successful theory. In particular, the current “standard model” — the Solar Nebula Theory — is examined and discussed in some detail. After more than thirty years of development, this theory has still not settled down into an agreed form, as it experiences both theoretical difficulties and problems with reconciling new observations. By contrast, the Capture Theory, developed over the last forty years by the author, and supported by recent observations provides a complete description of the formation of the Solar System, including an evolutionary hypothesis that explains the detailed structure of the system. Written in an informative yet accessible manner, this book will appeal to both specialist and non-specialist readers alike.

 
Contents:
  • Enlightenment
  • The Solar System: Features and Problems
  • New Knowledge
  • The Return of the Nebula
  • Making Stars
  • Capture
  • The Biggish-Bang Hypothesis
 
Readership: Students with a background in basic science, and members of the informed public.
 
“Woolfson does an excellent job recounting historic theories and discussing why they were not satisfactory in explaining observed details of the solar system … it is recommended to readers who want to explore a controversial theory.”
Choice
 
“Several aspects of this book are very likeable. The author provides pictures of some folks whom one doesn't often see. There is a careful discussion of the work of some non-Anglophone astronomers, including Otto Schmidt and Victor Safronov, who are often neglected in English-language studies of planet formation.”
The Observatory Magazine
 
340pp    Pub. date: Oct 2007  
ISBN:   978-1-86094-824-4
1-86094-824-3
   US$107 / £56

 


340pp    Pub. date: Oct 2007  
ISBN:   978-1-86094-841-1(ebook)
1-86094-841-3(ebook)
   US$139