The Planets

While this 8-part series features a George Lucas-worthy barrage of wondrous extraterrestrial sights of our solar system's nine planets (both actual and computer-generated, though not always evident which is which), I was much more moved by George Wetherill's beaming smile as he recalled seeing the first pictures of Mercury's crater-pocked surface (confirming his work on the accretion theory of planet formation) or Dr. David Levy's bright eyes as he talked about the Schumacher-Levy 9 comet plowing into Jupiter on July 16, 1994. In the opening volume, Wetherill, Levy, Bruce Murray and Dr. Hal Levinson are amongst the interviewees who explore the cutting-edge questions that still plague scientists in regards to how the planets were formed (given the present parameters, computer models can easily recreate the inner planets, but cannot account for Neptune and Uranus). In subsequent volumes, The Planets looks at the history of the discovery of the planets, their physical composition and topography, the possibilities of life on other planets, and the incredible achievements of the space program in expanding our knowledge of our neighbors, all set to--what else?--Gustav Holst's titular orchestral suite. The choice of Karen Strong, who narrates in an annoying sing-song-y newscaster voice (had the content been cookie recipes, one suspects the reading would have been identical), is unfortunate, but this is an otherwise solid addition to such notable previous series as The Astronomers (VL-6/91) and Stephen Hawking's Universe (VL Online). Recommended. [Note: A companion book is also available from Yale University Press.] Aud: J, H, C, P. (R. Pitman)