Planetary science
Planetary science, also known as planetology or planetary astronomy, is the science of planets, or planetary systems, and the solar system. Incorporating an interdisciplinary approach, planetary science draws from diverse sciences and may be considered a part of the Earth sciences, or more logically, as its parent field. Research tends to be done by a combination of astronomy, space exploration (particularly unmanned space missions), and comparative, experimental and meteorite work based on Earth. There is also an important theoretical component and considerable use of computer simulation. Astrogeology is a major component of planetary sciences.
Planetary science studies objects ranging in size from micrometeoroids to gas giants, their composition, dynamics and history.
Terminology
When the discipline concerns itself with a celestial body in particular, a specialised term is used, as shown in the table below (only Heliology, Earth science (synonymous with geoscience), Selenology, and Areology are currently in common use):
| Body | Term | Source of root in term |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Heliology | Greek Helios |
| Mercury | Hermeology | Greek Hermes |
| Venus | Cytherology | Greek Cythera |
| Earth | Earth science (geoscience): e.g., geology | Greek Gaia |
| Moon | Selenology | Greek Selene |
| Mars | Areology | Greek Ares |
| Jupiter | Zenology | Greek Zeus |
| Saturn | Kronology | Greek Chronos |
| Uranus | Uranology | Greek/Latin Uranus |
| Neptune | Poseidology | Greek Poseidon |
| Pluto | Hadeology | Greek Hades |
Basic Concepts
- Asteroid
- Brown dwarfs
- Comets
- Earthquake
- Equatorial bulge
- Extrasolar planets
- Gas giant planets
- Icy moons
- Kuiper belt
- Magnetosphere
- Planet
- Planetary differentiation
- Planetary system
- the Pluto debate
- Precession
- Solar-terrestrial interaction
- Space weather
- Star system
- Sun
- Synchronous rotation
- Super Jupiter
- Terrestrial planets
Template:Astro-stub Template:Geol-stub
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See also
- Astrogeology
- Planetary habitability
bs:Planetarne nauke
cs:Planetologie
de:Planetologie
fr:Planétologie
id:Ilmu planet
is:Reikistjörnufræði
it:Planetologia
nl:Planetologie
ja:惑星科学
pl:Planetologia
pt:Planetologia
sk:Planetológia
sl:Planetologija
sr:Планетарне науке
fi:Planeettatiede
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