In 350 B.C.E., Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, wrote that the Earth is the center of the solar system, and that all the other bodies in the solar system orbit the Earth while set into a complex series of spheres. However, in 1514 C.E., Nicolas Copernicus, a Prussian scientist and canon in the Catholic church, challenged these previous beliefs, theorizing that the center of the universe is not the Earth, but the Sun, that the distance from the Earth to the Sun is imperceptible compared to the distance to the stars, and that the apparent retrograde motion of the planets is due to observing them from the orbiting Earth. In a single, informative reference, "The Sun, Mercury, and Venus" discusses the innermost solar system and the importance of the Sun's energy on orbiting bodies. As the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury is the least visited of terrestrial planets and is difficult to see because it is always close to the Sun from the Earth's perspective. The Sun's brightness either damages instruments that attempt to see Mercury, or simply makes Mercury a dim and ill-resolved speck next to the limb of the Sun. This volume also covers the geological characteristics of Venus in relation to the Sun and the rest of the solar system. Perfect for those interested in understanding the science and history behind the exploration of these three celestial bodies, this volume puts a new spin on this exciting area of planetary science.

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