Mars: A New View of the Red Planet

Description

Mars has always fascinated humanity and the findings of the past decade have revolutionized ideas about our nearest neighbour - revealing its watery past and geological similarity to Earth. This giant volume, filled with the latest and most magnificent images to be sent back from Curiosity, will walk you in the footsteps of the NASA probes and rovers that have been surveying the planet from 1964 until the present day. Experience its other-worldly beauty as you hover over sinister dust devils, immense icecaps and textured rock formations. Mars charts an incredible course across this unfamiliar planet, depicting all sides, seasons, channels and chasms, from the North Pole to the Southern Highlands. Witness the soaring heights of Olympus Mons - the tallest volcano in the Solar System - watch a giant dust storm tear through the canyons of the Valles Marineris, and explore the broad valleys of Chryse Planitia, scarred from catastrophic floods. Detailed and accessible essays explain how Mars was formed, shedding light on its internal and external structure, weather systems and unique geographical features, as well as on the compelling evidence of water and microscopic life. Each image is accompanied by a caption that explains in unparalleled detail the abstract patterns and peculiar geology that form this majestic planet. Featuring over 200 spectacular photographs and informative colour diagrams, an atlas of the surface and details of the most recent scientific discoveries, Mars is the perfect introduction to the Red Planet.

Giles Sparrow studied Astronomy at University College London, and Science Communication at Imperial College. He has acted as author, consultant and contributor on numerous popular science books, and is the author of, amongst others, The Universe and How to See It, Cosmos, The Stargazer's Handbook, Voyage Across the Cosmos, Cosmos Close-Up and The Universe in 100 Key Discoveries.