Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 130.

Atmospheres are crucial components of our universe. They are the only observable regions of stars and giant planets, both within and beyond our solar system. Some terrestrial-size bodies (Venus, Earth, Mars, Titan and Triton) have permanent atmospheres while others (e.g., Mercury, Moon, Io, and Europa) have tenuous gaseous envelopes that change daily. Comets are tiny bodies by planetary yardsticks, but their atmospheres can be the largest visible objects in the night sky. Atmospheric science strives to understand how such a diverse set of atmospheres form, evolve, and disappear.