Product Description
Two events will make the summer of 2003 a remarkable one for amateur astronomers. By late August, Mars will come within 34 million miles of Earth, appearing six times larger and shining 85 times brighter than usual-”the most striking and spectacular Mars apparition in tens of thousands of years” (The New York Times). And William K. Hartmann, co-author of The Grand Tour, Out of the Cradle, and The History of Earth, is publishing A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO MARS. Conceiv… More >>
#1 by John Rummel on July 1, 2010 - 1:38 am
As an astronomy junkie and a web surfer, I’ve often marveled at the amazingly sharp photos obtained by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. The Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has both wide-angle and telephoto capabilities and has revolutionized knowledge of Mars since it went into orbit in 1997. As I’ve browsed those photos, and even visited Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) website to surf the archive, I’ve idly wished that someone would put together a book of those photos, along with explanations by planetary scientists.
Quite by accident, I stumbled upon Hartmann’s Traveler’s Guide to Mars recently, a 2003 publication by one of the scientists who’s been involved with Mars since Mariner 4 in 1965. At 468 pages in length, with nearly every page containing photographs, this book is a gem. I regard it as the best book on Mars over the last few years (which is saying a lot if you read my reviews last month).
Hartmann gives us forty short chapters, each devoted to a single feature or geographic region. Each chapter is between 2 and 10 or so pages in length. Lavish use of photos is the standard, usually a Viking mosaic for context and then a series of MOS or Odyssey Themis photos illustrating unusual geology, the search for water, etc. There are also many examples of the Global Surveyor’s other primary instrument, the laser altimeter, which beautifully illustrates relative elevations of the features, and has added immeasurably to our understanding of the landforms studied. Hartmann also makes frequent use of Earth landscape photos that are close analogs to the Martian features he’s showcasing. Hartmann’s explanations of the features are clear and easy to understand. The writing is at a level that will be easy for novices to comprehend, but will not leave seasoned Marsophiles feeling talked-down-to.
Interspersed throughout are 15 sidebars, “My Martian Chronicles,” in which Hartmann recounts some of his personal experiences as a member of the scientific teams which slowly untangled many of the mysteries he confronts in the text. These serve to make an already superb book even more enjoyable by bringing a very personal touch to the narrative. Hartmann is always careful to specify when he is touting his own pet theories, and when he is speaking of the consensus of the scientific community. He does a great job of illustrating how the scientific process actually works by telling the stories of the many geologists and planetary scientists who have contributed to our understanding of Mars over the years. He also hints where he thinks NASA’s priorities ought to be with respect to human exploration of Mars: there are simply some questions which will remain open until there is a geologist with a rock hammer on the scene.
This is an excellent book in every way imaginable. First of all, it satisfied a longing I had had for several years. Second, it is written by a top flight scientist who also happens to be a gifted writer and communicator. Third, it is edited and presented in such a well-thought-out manner that it is simply a pleasure to read (and re-read and re-read). The only possible improvement I could suggest would be a second edition (updated of course with new findings) that uses the coffee-table format. When I think of the MOS and MOLA photos used in this book reproduced in large format 11×17 inches, with the accompanying text, I positively salivate with anticipation.
Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by Kurt A. Johnson on July 1, 2010 - 1:50 am
This fascinating book is the work of scientist, author and artist, William K. Hartmann. What this item is, really, is a travelogue about the planet Mars! Going interesting location by interesting location, the book takes the reader across the face of Mars, and through Martian history. Along the way, the reader is treated to *many* colorful pictures and maps.
This is a great book, probably the best one that I have seen on the planet Mars! I loved the way that the book is organized; somehow the author succeeds in taking his narrative location by location, and yet having it form a coherent and very informative explanation of what Mars is like now, and how it came to be that way. Also, the fact that it was published in 2003 means that it is entirely up-to-date, with information gathered by the Viking probes, the Hubble space telescope, and the Mars Global Surveyor.
Overall, I found this to be a great book and a wonderful resource. If you are interested in the planet Mars, then you really must get this book! I give it my highest recommendations.
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by Gavin Scott on July 1, 2010 - 4:19 am
This book may very well be the best popular science book I’ve ever read. The story of what we know about Mars and how it was discovered unfolds in an exciting progression that leaves one convinced that not only has there been a lot of water on Mars in the past, but there is almost certainly still a lot of it underground all over the planet.
The story is lavishly illustrated with many amazing high-resolution images from the Mars Global Surveyor and other orbiter missions, along with a dozen or so of the author’s own paintings.
The book answered all of the nagging quesitons I had about whether or not there’s really evidence of water on Mars, and several times a question that formed in my mind (like “ok, maybe it was some fluid other than water like liquid CO2″) was explicitly answered on the next page.
This book is a real gem, and if you want quick fun way to pick up the appropriate background for enjoying and understanding the results from the Spirit and Opportunity rover missions then this is it.
Sadly The Brittish Beagle 2 lander seems to have followed the Simplified Planetary Local Approach Trajectory that was favored by many previous attempts to land on Mars, but with the success (so far) of Spirit and high hopes for Opportunity landing soon, there will be plenty of exciting new information about Mars available soon, and I can only hope that the author of this book sees fit to give us a second edition in a year or so that summarizes all the new knowlege.
But for now, this it *the* book to get up to speed on Mars.
G.
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by David Gill on July 1, 2010 - 6:25 am
If I were to take a guided trip to Mars, there are a handful of people that I’d like to choose my guide from – people who have spent their careers trying to understand Mars from the Mariner, Viking and Mars Global Surveyor missions. Bill Hartmann is certainly one of the members of that pool. He cut his geological teeth on the moon with Gerard Kuiper in the early 60’s, and made wonderful, major contributions to our understanding of the moon. Then he has been involved in all the major Mars missions since the start. He is an artist as well as a scientist, so he informs this book with the soul of an artist as well as the mind of a scientist.
When I first saw the promotional literature for this book, I was struck by the beauty of the images in it. The book itself did not disappoint. It is a paperback, in the format of a field guide, but it is richly illustrated with color and black and white images. The book has two large fold-out maps – one of the best pre-space probe maps showing the Mars that can be seen with a telescope, and a topographic maps from the Mars Global Surveyor mission.
Hartmann uses his “Traveler’s Guide” format to take us on a tour of Mars. The organization of the tour is based on the geological history of the Red Planet. So along the way, in addition to seeing the most fascinating places on Mars, we learn their geological context in chronological sequence.
Although it would be easy to bury the reader in geological jargon, Hartmann succeeds in making the study of Mars accessible and exciting. It is clear from reading the text that Mars is a world that still harbors many surprises for us. He is not afraid to share his thoughts with the reader – but he is careful to point out where they depart from the main stream. But given Hartmann’s track record, one has to give his speculations more weight than most. He also enlivens the book with a thread of his personal journey as a Mars scientist in a series of stories from his career labeled, “My Martian Chronicle” that are is interwoven with the main text. These help illuminate the human side of the scientist.
Highly recommended!
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by John S. Ryan on July 1, 2010 - 6:43 am
Some of us who saw the lunar landing in 1969 are still wondering why we haven’t gotten to Mars yet. Shouldn’t that have been next?
Well, it still could be, and you can get more information on the possibilities by checking out the Mars Society and Red Colony websites. (I can’t post the URLs here but in each case your first guess will be correct.)
And if you want more information on the planet Mars itself, this is the book you want.
Packed with gorgeous photos from the various Mars missions (and some from Earth for purposes of comparison and inference), this book is a garden of delights for areophiles: the very latest information and theories about the red planet, interspersed with the reminiscences and personal views of the author, astronomer William Hartmann, all in a very high-quality glossy paperback designed for long shelf life — and, one hopes, for interplanetary travel.
If you’ve ever wondered what gives Syrtis Major its dark color, or even if you’ve just looked at the night sky once in a while wondering what the heck might be _out there_, you’ll find something to engage you in this volume.
Have a look. Then let’s start getting ready to go.
Rating: 5 / 5