The Gang of Nine

Two nights ago I started reading The Planets by Dava Sobel, and so far (about a third of the way through) it's excellent. It is a wonderful, liberal arts sort of approach to the Solar System we inhabit. There is a bit of physics, a bit of history, a bit of astronomy, a bit of mythology, a bit of geology, a bit of personal memoir. The author's tone is easy and conversational, blending diverse subjects together. Some of the more technical scientific information seems out of place because you have to slow down and concentrate more to process the information, but the effort is well spent.

Further bulletins as events warrant.