Roger-Maurice Bonnet*Michel Blanc Originally published in the journal Space Science Reviews, Volume 137, Nos 1-4. DOI: 10. 1007/s11214-008-9418-0 (c) Springer Science+Business Media B. V. 2008 "Planetary Atmospheric Electricity" is the rst publication of its kind in the Space Science Series of ISSI. It is the result of a new and successful joint venture between ISSI and Eu- planet. Europlanet is a network of over 110 European and U. S. laboratories deeply involved in the development of planetary sciences and support to the European planetary space exp- ration programme. In 2004, the Europlanet consortium obtained support from the European Commission to strengthen the planetary science community worldwide, and to amplify the scienti c output, impact and visibility of the European space programme, essentially the - ropean Space Agency's Horizon 2000, Cosmic Vision programmes and their successors. Its presentcontractwiththeCommissionextendsfrom2005to2008,andincludes7networking activities, including discipline-based working groups covering the main areas of planetary sciences. A new contract with the Commission, presently under negotiation, will extend - roplanet's activities into the period 2009-2012. With the broad community connection made through its Discipline Working Groups and other activities, Europlanet offers an ideal base from which to identify new elds of research for planetary sciences and to stimulate coll- orative work among its member laboratories.

Recent space missions to the outer solar system, Galileo (1996 2003) and Cassini-Huygens (2004 today), together with ground observations, have revealed that the moons of the outer solar system are enigmatic objects, introducing extraordinary challenges for geologists, astrobiologists, organic chemists, and planetologists. Chemical exchange exists through the different layers that form their interiors, and also from the interior to the surface. The most convincing evidence is certainly the discovery of water vapour and ice particles emerging from Enceladus s active south polar region. Evidence for exchange with a subsurface liquid ocean has also been provided by the inference of hydrated salts on the surfaces of Jupiter s moons, Europa and Ganymede, as well as the detection of sodium salts in particles originating in Enceladus s plumes. Aqueous exchange with the rocky core may also be possible, considering that 40Ar has been observed in the plumes of Enceladus during one flyby of Cassini and in the atmosphere of Titan. The ongoing CH4 replenishment in Titan s atmosphere is additional striking evidence of exchange processes within the moons."

This text treats our knowledge of the solar system from an astrophysical point of view. Part 1 deals with the formation of the solar system and its interaction with the interplanetary medium. Part 2 presents its various objects: planets and satellites, asteroids, comets, trans-neptunian objects and interplanetary dust. The final sections on extrasolar planetary systems and on the search for life in the Universe round off an introduction to a field that has grown dramatically following the space missions of the last twenty years. Over the last decade many exciting observations have helped to reshape our understanding of the solar system and planetary science. In the third corrected and revised edition of this classic on the astrophysics of our solar system, students and lecturers in astronomy and planetary science as well as planet observers will find a mine of up-to-date information.

Roger-Maurice Bonnet*Michel Blanc Originally published in the journal Space Science Reviews, Volume 137, Nos 1-4. DOI: 10. 1007/s11214-008-9418-0 (c) Springer Science+Business Media B. V. 2008 "Planetary Atmospheric Electricity" is the rst publication of its kind in the Space Science Series of ISSI. It is the result of a new and successful joint venture between ISSI and Eu- planet. Europlanet is a network of over 110 European and U. S. laboratories deeply involved in the development of planetary sciences and support to the European planetary space exp- ration programme. In 2004, the Europlanet consortium obtained support from the European Commission to strengthen the planetary science community worldwide, and to amplify the scienti c output, impact and visibility of the European space programme, essentially the - ropean Space Agency's Horizon 2000, Cosmic Vision programmes and their successors. Its presentcontractwiththeCommissionextendsfrom2005to2008,andincludes7networking activities, including discipline-based working groups covering the main areas of planetary sciences. A new contract with the Commission, presently under negotiation, will extend - roplanet's activities into the period 2009-2012. With the broad community connection made through its Discipline Working Groups and other activities, Europlanet offers an ideal base from which to identify new elds of research for planetary sciences and to stimulate coll- orative work among its member laboratories.

Recent space missions to the outer solar system, Galileo (1996-2003) and Cassini-Huygens (2004-today), together with ground observations, have revealed that the moons of the outer solar system are enigmatic objects, introducing extraordinary challenges for geologists, astrobiologists, organic chemists, and planetologists. Chemical exchange exists through the different layers that form their interiors, and also from the interior to the surface. The most convincing evidence is certainly the discovery of water vapour and ice particles emerging from Enceladus's active south polar region. Evidence for exchange with a subsurface liquid ocean has also been provided by the inference of hydrated salts on the surfaces of Jupiter's moons, Europa and Ganymede, as well as the detection of sodium salts in particles originating in Enceladus's plumes. Aqueous exchange with the rocky core may also be possible, considering that 40Ar has been observed in the plumes of Enceladus during one flyby of Cassini and in the atmosphere of Titan. The ongoing CH4 replenishment in Titan's atmosphere is additional striking evidence of exchange processes within the moons.

In this third corrected and revised edition students and lecturers in astronomy and planetary science as well as planet observers will find a mine of up-to-date information on the solar system and its interaction with the interplanetary medium, its various objects, comparative planetology, discussion of questions for further research and future space exploration.