This book, the first in a series of forthcoming volumes, consists of topical and timely reviews of a number of carefully selected topics in solar systemn science. Contributions, in form of up-to-date reviews, are mainly aimed at professional astronomers and planetary scientists wishing to inform themselves about progress in fields closely related to their own field of expertise.

The Solar Atmosphere and Space Weather.- Mercury.- The Atmosphere of Venus: Current Knowledge and Future Investigations.- Moon¿s Origin And Evolution: Alternatives and Implications.- Evidence for Climate Change on Mars.- The Habitability of Mars: Past and Present.- Jupiter-sized Planets in the Solar System and Elsewhere.- The Icy Moons of Jupiter.- Cassini at Saturn: The First Results.- The Ice Giant Systems of Uranus and Neptune.- The Solar System Beyond The Planets.- The Nature of Comets.