Man's understanding of the solar system has undergone radical change as developments in technology and science have allowed a clearer and farther view from Earth. Accompanying an eight-part series on BBC Television, this book seeks to evoke the sense of wonder and awe inspired by the planets. It takes readers on a ten-billion-year journey from the birth of the solar system to what astronomers believe will be its death, and includes NASA photographs among its illustrations, as well as computer-generated images of unexplored terrains.