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A history of Mars
While the book is compact and fact-based, the author Sarah Stewart Johnson also captures the romantic fascination the people of earth have always felt for Mars in 'The Sirens of Mars'. She describes how the surface of Mars in early telescopes stirred many scientists into imagining the cities and canals and farms which must be there for Mars to look as it did. Many wonderful works of fiction are based on these early observations.
Science instruments of observation got better, but ...more
While the book is compact and fact-based, the author Sarah Stewart Johnson also captures the romantic fascination the people of earth have always felt for Mars in 'The Sirens of Mars'. She describes how the surface of Mars in early telescopes stirred many scientists into imagining the cities and canals and farms which must be there for Mars to look as it did. Many wonderful works of fiction are based on these early observations.
Science instruments of observation got better, but ...more
My favorite books about science topics are always the ones that are written by scientists. This book, by Professor Sarah Johnson, is exceptionally well written. I didn't read this book--I listened to the audiobook. By listening to it, I heard a lyricism that is not often encountered in books about science. Well done!
This book is about the history of Mars exploration, with an emphasis on the search for life. The successes and failures of astronomers and modern space probes are described in a pers ...more
This book is about the history of Mars exploration, with an emphasis on the search for life. The successes and failures of astronomers and modern space probes are described in a pers ...more
Johnson's book is appropriately titled. She writes about humanity's obsession with Mars and Martians over the years. The invention of the telescope allowed scientists get a good look at the distant planet and see what they presumed were canals. More sophisticated telescopes and eventual robotic missions to Mars provided information about the planet's surface and weather but no Martians yet. Currently, at least 3 countries including the United States are again pursuing a greater understanding of
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