For the love of Mars a human history of the red planet

"Mars and its secrets have fascinated and mystified humans since ancient times. Its vivid color and visibility to the naked eye, its geologic kinship with Earth, its potential as our best hope for settlement--Mars embodies everything that inspires us about space and space exploration. In this b...

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Main Author: Shindell, Matthew (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language: English
Published: Chicago, IL ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2023.
Subjects:
Summary: "Mars and its secrets have fascinated and mystified humans since ancient times. Its vivid color and visibility to the naked eye, its geologic kinship with Earth, its potential as our best hope for settlement--Mars embodies everything that inspires us about space and space exploration. In this book, National Air and Space Museum Curator Matthew Shindell captures the majesty of the red planet and the work done by people on Earth to explore it. He connects our current period of human exploration of Mars to the work done through the centuries and across cultures by asking how the quest to understand Mars has shaped our knowledge of ourselves, our own planet, our solar system, and beyond. For the Love of Mars reveals why Mars has piqued scientists' interest for centuries. It brings to light how difficult and sometimes flawed martian discoveries could be for earth-bound planetary explorers and, by focusing on the human stories behind the telescopes and behind the robots we have come to know and love, shows how Mars exploration became more sophisticated through the years in ways that helped expand knowledge about other facets of space and the universe. A must read for everyone curious about Curiosity and the Red Planet"--
Physical Description: xvi, 226 pages, 12 pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 24 cm
Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (pages [207]-216) and index.
ISBN: 9780226821894
0226821897
Author Notes: Matthew Shindell curates the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's collection of spacecraft, instruments, and other artifacts related to the exploration and study of our Earth and solar system. He cohosts the museum's AirSpace podcast. A historian of science, he is also the author of The Life and Science of Harold C. Urey , coauthor of Spaceships and Discerning Experts , editor of Lunar , and coeditor of Smithsonian American Women .