Planets Royal Observatory Greenwich Illuminates

Planets is the second book in a series of accessible guides to astronomy, written by astronomers at Royal Observatory Greenwich.

"As a concise introduction, Planets manages to cover an impressive amount and will undoubtedly leave the reader keen to learn more. ★★★★★" - BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Author: Dr Emily Drabek-Maunder

Since ancient times five planets have been easily visible to the naked eye – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They appear to us like stars, as bright points of light in our night skies. Planets charts humanity’s understanding of our neighbouring bodies, from the first clues established by Galileo Galilei in the 17th century, through to the vast amount we do (and much we don’t) know today.

Dr Emily Drabek-Maunder is an astronomer, astrophysicist and science communicator. She is currently the Senior Manager of Public Astronomy at Royal Observatory Greenwich. As an astrophysicist, she used microwave and radio telescopes to study the formation of stars and planets in our Galaxy at Cardiff University, Imperial College London and University of Exeter. Emily became interested in astronomy as a child, when she would look up at the night sky and wonder if we were alone in the Universe. She still does this today.