The Planets

‘So staggering you go “whoa!” every few seconds’ Guardian

‘Really impressive’ Eamonn Holmes, ITV This Morning

A companion book to the critically acclaimed BBC series.

The bestselling authors of Wonders of the Universe are back with another blockbuster, a groundbreaking exploration of our Solar System as it has never been seen before.

Mercury, a lifeless victim of the Sun’s expanding power. Venus, once thought to be lush and fertile, now known to be trapped within a toxic and boiling atmosphere. Mars, the red planet, doomed by the loss of its atmosphere. Jupiter, twice the size of all the other planets combined, but insubstantial. Saturn, a stunning celestial beauty, the jewel of our Solar System. Uranus, the sideways planet and the first ice giant. Neptune, dark, cold and whipped by supersonic winds. Pluto, the dwarf planet, a frozen rock.

Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox take readers on a voyage of discovery, from the fiery heart of our Solar System, to its mysterious outer reaches. They touch on the latest discoveries that have expanded our knowledge of the planets, their moons and how they come to be.

• Publishing to coincide with the major new primetime BBC series, commissioned and set to air in 2019.

• Professor Brian Cox, OBE is one of the highest profile scientists in the UK, popular radio broadcaster (The Infinite Monkey Cage) and Live TV star (Stargazing Live with Dara O’Briain); all backed up through his work with CERN.

• Wonders of the Solar System, Wonders of the Universe and Wonders of Life have sold over 750,000 copies worldwide, across all editions. Human Universe has sold over 200,000 copies in all editions in the UK alone and continues to sell in paperback and across the world.

Competition: Lonely Planet; A Brief History of Time; Astrophysics for People in a Hurry; Seven Brief Lessons on Physics. Stephen Hawking; Neil Degrasse Tyson; Carlo Rovelli