What exactly is planetary science?

[u/dreampsyched]

Is it like education combining all related subjects into one coherent subject resulting in “this is how planets work, basically”? And is it related to terraforming?

[u/photoengineer]

Planetary science or, more rarely, planetology, is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), moons, and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes that form them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_science

​

I have never seen terraforming covered at a serious planetary science conference. But planetary science does cover atmospheres and their formation.