At the Edge of the Solar System: Icy New Worlds Unveiled Authors: Alain Doressoundiram and Emmanuel Lellouch Publisher: Springer-Praxis ISBN: 978-1-4419-0864-3 Price: £29.99 (Pb), 205pp
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The dedication may read, ‘To Pluto, with our apologies’ but by reading on it becomes clear that there is really nothing to apologise for. Despite having its planetary status removed, this book reveals Pluto to be a fascinating and important member of a diverse collection of icy bodies. The outer Solar System and its associated nomenclature can be confusing territory, yet this book clearly and informatively guides you through the menagerie of strange and frigid objects that lurk in the feeble sunlight out beyond Neptune.

Beginning with a look at our historical knowledge of the Solar System prior Pluto’s discovery, the book goes on to detail what we know so far about the Pluto-Charon system and how it came to be.

The myriad new discoveries in the outer Solar System which led to Pluto’s reclassification as a Plutino are also fully described; from large objects like Eris, to tiny bodies whose only chance of discovery was by blinking out distant starlight. I was fascinated to learn what a dynamic past these objects have had, with many either thrown clear of the solar system or scattered sunward to bombard the inner planets, Earth included.

All this information is presented in a very readable style and accompanied by around 150 images and diagrams. I fully recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the outer Solar System and how the objects in this region, and others like them, have shaped ours and other planetary systems.

David Powell