Planetary science

photo: Photograph from Apollo 15 orbital unit of the rilles in the vicinity of the crater Aristarchus on the Moon. The arrangement of the two valleys is very similar, although one third in size, to Great Hungarian Plain rivers Danube and Tisza.

Planetary science, also known as planetology and closely related to 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 robotic spacecraft 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.Planetology is an interdisciplinary science growing out from astronomy and earth science. Its development was determined by the increasing importance of robotics and measuring technology. In general, planetary science studies the planets, their moons, all the bodies and radiations of the Solar System, the various force fields and interactions between the several components of the Solar system.

Its relation to earth sciences

The earth science has a new discipline: geonomy, strongly related to planetary science. Geonómia is a comprehensive science encompassing earth science disciplines and extending a synthesis between them. Geonomy integrates the knowledge collected from the Earth. However, the sequence of collecting data from Earth is much different than from other planets. Earth sciences originated studies in the vicinity of human habitation, and it later expanded to embrace the entire Earth.

Planetary science began in astronomy from studies of the unresolved planets and later increased resolution concerning atmospheric and surface details. One exception was the Moon, which always exhibited details on its surface, due to its proximity to the earth. The gradual increase in instrumental resolution resulted in more detailed geological knowledge about our natural satellite. In this scientific process, astronomical telescopes (and later radio telescopes) and finally space probe robots played important roles.

Planetary science involves many disciplines, although many studies such as mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry mainly concentrate on the earth. Today cosmochemistry, cosmopetrography, and cosmo-geochemistry also are areas of study. Meteoritics studies the rocky and mineral materials of the Solar System. (Journals concerning meteeoritics include: The Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, and the Meteoritics and Planetary Science.)

The most important regular annual conference of this discipline is the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), organized by the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, at NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC). Held since 1970, the 39th LPSC will occur in 2008.