Guide to the Universe

This volume in the Greenwood Guides to the Universe series covers asteroids comets and dwarf planetsthose small bodies that revolve the Sunand provides readers with the most up-to-date understanding of the current state of scientific knowledge about them. Scientifically sound but written with the student in mind Asteroids Comets and Dwarf Planets is an excellent first step for researching the exciting scientific discoveries of the smallest celestial bodies in the solar system.The book will introduce students to all of the areas of research surrounding the subject answering many intriguing questions. It defines a dwarf planet and explains why Pluto is one. It looks at how such small bodies form what they are made of and what kind of atmospheres might they have. And it asksand answerswhether asteroids comets and dwarf planets present a hazard to the Earth or to spacecraft.