Mars : the lure of the red planet / William Sheehan & Stephen James O'Meara.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sheehan, William, 1954-

Contributor:

O'Meara, Stephen James, 1956-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mars (Planet).

Physical Description:

406 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books, 2001.

Summary:

No other planet has fired the human imagination like Mars. Towering voleanoes and massive canyons stretch across the vast expanse of Mars, unfolding before us with a grandeur that beekons to be explored. Our fascination, however, is more than just geological: Of all the planets in the solar system apart from Earth. Mars has always been regarded as the most likely to have nurtured life. Even nineteenth-century astronomers were obsessed with the possibility of life on the red planet. Recent discoveries have only added to the mystery. Was Mars once warmer and wetter than it is now? What was the source of the water that once ran rampant over the surface? Where did all the water go? Is it possible that the planet once harbored -- or may still harbor -- life?

In this engaging account of humankind's love affair with the red planet. William Sheehan and Stephen James O'Meara trace the history of our fascination with Earth's neighbor in the solar system, and look at the prospects for human spaceflight to Mars in this century. The authors portray the history of our explorations of Mars through the eyes of the dreamers and achievers who have made the planet such an integral part of the human psyche. They reveal the discoverers' hardships, their strength in the face of criticisms, and the glories of their successes.

Mars is our new frontier that will continue to spur the greatest flights of imagination and the most astounding technical feats. Projects are already underway to make these dreams a reality. This book will inspire you and fill you with enthusiasm for the adventure ahead.

Contents:

Part I. Pale Red Dot

1. Lilac Dawn 17

2. Mars in the Solar System 27

3. Wanderers and Wonderers 37

4. The Untrackable Star 51

5. The War with Mars 65

Part II. A Swelling Orb

6. The Sails of Imagination 83

7. Mappers of Strange Seas 95

8. "A Less Difficult and Bloody Conquest" 103

Sidebar: A Color-Blind Astronomer 116

"Mars," excerpt of a poem by Percival Lowell 124

9. Lowell's Mars 125

10. La Grande Lunette 149

Sidebar: The Canals of Mars 176

Part III. The Mars of Romance

11. Invaders from Mars 185

12. War of the Worlds 197

Part IV. Marsfall

13. Water, Water

Anywhere? 217

14. Woodstock Mars 235

15. The Brave New World of Mariner 9 249

Part V. The Abode of Life?

16. Paradise Lost? 271

17. If Stones Could Talk 301

Epilogue: The Mars of Global Surveyor 319

Appendix A. A Square Old Yellow Book of Mars 326

Appendix B. The Colors of Mars 339

Appendix C. Exploring Mars with Your Telescope 345

Appendix D. Table of Data for the Planet Mars 367

Appendix E. The Satellites of Mars 369

Appendix F. Oppositions of Mars, 2001-2035 371

Appendix G. Most Favorable Oppositions of Mars, 3000 B.C.E. to 3000 C.E. 373.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 375-391) and index.

ISBN:

157392900X

OCLC:

45532462