Venus Revealed: A New Look Below The Clouds Of Our Mysterious Twin Planet

Description

The first book for a general audience to reveal the breathtaking scientific results of the Magellan mission to Venus.. Until very recently, all we really knew about Venus, our nearest planetary neighbor, was that it was roughly the same size and mass as the earth and was surrounded by a thick atmosphere. Then, in 1989, American scientists launched Magellanthe spacecraft that would revolutionize our vision of this mysterious planet. Venus Revealed is the first book to explain the breathtaking results of this mission, which unveiled a Venusian world of active volcanoes, shining mountains, and river valleys carved by torrents of flowing lava. At one time, Venus may have even had a wet, temperate climate, much like Earths. What happened to turn it into a hostile, burning acid world? The answer could very well help us solve some of our most pressing environmental problemsfrom global warming to acid rain. In Venus Revealed, David Grinspoon eloquently argues that studying our exotic twin will inevitable teach us more about ourselves.

David Harry Grinspoon is assistant professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Since 1990, Professor Grinspoon has studied Venus as a Principal Investigator for NASA's Planetary Atmospheres and Venus Data Analysis Program. He lives in Denver.