Guide to the Universe: Outer Planets: Greenwood Guides to the Universe

Glenn Chaple's lifelong interest in astronomy began when a high school friend showed him the planet Saturn through a backyard telescope. After receiving a BS Degree in Astronomy from the University of Massachusetts, he worked briefly as a planetarium lecturer before becoming a middle school science teacher. He has published articles in Deep Sky Magazine and the children's astronomy magazine Odyssey, and is the author of the book Exploring With a Telescope (1988.) A contributing editor to Astronomy Magazine, he shares his astronomical exploits in the monthly beginner's column Glenn Chaple's Observing Basics.

A long-time avid amateur astronomer living in Massachusetts, Chaple profiles the Jovian planets, that is the gas giants and their many moons, but not the former planet Pluto. His topics include the birth of the Jovian planets, Jupiter's moons as a solar system in miniature, Saturn as the crown jewel of the Solar System (the full sized one), the tipped-over worldUranus, Neptune the planet discovered on paper, Jovian planets beyond our solar system, and Voyager 2's grand tour.
. . .contain[s] basic information to help the reader understand this ever-changing topic.
. . . this volume will be a valuable complement and update for either general science encyclopedias or specific ones such as Paul Murdin's Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nature Publishing Group, 2001).
The book is best suited to junior and senior high school students, as well as lay readers who wish to learn about the history and phenomenology of the outer planets of our solar system, including some curious anecdotes to enliven the factual summaries. High recommended. Libraries serving high school students and general readers.
The author's writing style takes a very complex, scientific subject and breaks it down into chapters that are understandable and interesting for the amateur enthusiast, with detailed information for the researcher looking for a credible source. Recommended.