Geographies of Mars

Geographies of Mars
Author: K. Maria D. Lane
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2011
Genre: History
ISBN: 0226470784

This volume "explores the origins of our Martian obsession in the late nineteenth century" and examines "the way turn-of-the-century Americans and Europeans thought about space, knowledge, and power." The author paints a picture of how "scientists and the public saw [Mars] around the beginning of the 20th century, when canals on the Red Planet seemed a very real possibility." It is a story of mountain observatories, of fieldwork conducted at a distance, and of how Mars's geographers sought social and scientific legitimacy, exploring how astronomy and geography intersected in the debates over the existence of life on Mars.

The Martian Chronicles

The Martian Chronicles
Author: Ray Bradbury
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2012-04-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1451678193

The tranquility of Mars is disrupted by humans who want to conquer space, colonize the planet, and escape a doomed Earth.

Rover Throws a Party

Rover Throws a Party
Author: Kristin L. Gray
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 41
Release: 2020-03-31
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0525646485

Inspired by NASA's Curiosity rover, this is the story of a lonely Mars rover who plans the best birthday party in the solar system. It's Rover's anniversary on Mars! Time to celebrate by throwing the best party this planet has ever seen. Rover hands out invitations all over town, but it seems like he's the only one around. Will anyone come to the party, or will Rover be all alone on his big day? In 2013, NASA programmed their Curiosity rover to hum "Happy Birthday to You" in honor of its first year on Mars. Inspired by this anecdote, this is the tale of a lonely rover and his party, accompanied by fascinating Mars rover facts that help explain the real science behind the story. This fun birthday tale provides an accessible, kid-friendly look at one of NASA's coolest programs.

Mars Underground

Mars Underground
Author: William K. Hartmann
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 454
Release: 1999-02-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780812580396

A search for a scientist who disappeared while exploring the Martian desert. He is Alwyn Stafford and as the search progresses it becomes clear he has discovered something which other people want kept hidden. A new alien civilization? A first novel by a Mars astronomer.

Dynamic Mars

Dynamic Mars
Author: Richard Soare
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 468
Release: 2018-08-07
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0128130199

Dynamic Mars: Recent and Current Landscape Evolution of the Red Planet presents the latest observations, interpretations, and explanations of geological change at the surface or near-surface of this terrestrial body. These changes raise questions about a decades-old paradigm, formed largely in the aftermath of very coarse Mariner-mission imagery in the 1960s, suggesting that much of the interesting geological activity on Mars occurred deep in its past, eons ago. The book includes discussions of (1) Mars' ever-changing atmosphere and the impact of this on the planet's surface and near-surface; (2) the possible involvement of water in relatively new, if not contemporary, gully-like flows and slope streaks (i.e. recurring slope lineae); and (3) the identification of a broad suite of agents and processes (i.e. glacial, periglacial, aeolian, meteorological, volcanic, and meteoric) that are actively revising surface and near-surface landscapes, landforms, and features on a local, regional, and hemispheric scale.Highly illustrated and punctuated by data from the most recent Mars missions, Dynamic Mars is a valuable resource for all levels of research in the geological history of Mars, as well as of the three other terrestrial planets. - Utilizes observational and model-based data as well as geological context to frame the understanding of the dynamic surface and near-surface of Mars - Presents a broad spectrum of highly regarded experts and themes to discuss and evaluate the geological history of late and current Mars - Includes extensive and detailed imagery to clearly illustrate these themes, discussions, and evaluations

Volatiles in the Martian Crust

Volatiles in the Martian Crust
Author: Justin Filiberto
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 427
Release: 2018-08-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 012804201X

Volatiles in the Martian Crust is a vital reference for future missions - including ESA's EXO Mars and NASA's Mars2020 rover - looking for evidence of life on Mars and the potential for habitability and human exploration of the Martian crust. Mars science is a rapidly evolving topic with new data returned from the planet on a daily basis. The book presents chapters written by well-established experts who currently focus on the topic, providing the reader with a fresh, up-to-date and accurate view. Organized into two main sections, the first half of the book focuses on the Martian meteorites and specific volatile elements. The second half of the book explores processes and locations on the crust, including what we have learned about volatile mobility in the Martian crust. Coverage includes data from orbiter and in situ rovers and landers, geochemical and geophysical modeling, and combined data from the SNC meteorites. - Presents information about the nature, relationship, and reactivity of chemical elements and compounds on Mars - Explores the potential habitability of Mars - Provides a comprehensive view of volatiles in the Martian crust from studies of actual samples as well as from the variety of landed missions, including the MER and Curiosity rovers - Delivers a vital reference for ongoing and future missions to Mars while synthesizing large data sets and research on volatiles in the Martian atmosphere - Concludes with an informative summary chapter that looks to future Mars missions and what might be learned

Seeing Like a Rover

Seeing Like a Rover
Author: Janet Vertesi
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 331
Release: 2015-04-22
Genre: Science
ISBN: 022615601X

In the years since the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit and Opportunity first began transmitting images from the surface of Mars, we have become familiar with the harsh, rocky, rusty-red Martian landscape. But those images are much less straightforward than they may seem to a layperson: each one is the result of a complicated set of decisions and processes involving the large team behind the Rovers. With Seeing Like a Rover, Janet Vertesi takes us behind the scenes to reveal the work that goes into creating our knowledge of Mars. Every photograph that the Rovers take, she shows, must be processed, manipulated, and interpreted—and all that comes after team members negotiate with each other about what they should even be taking photographs of in the first place. Vertesi’s account of the inspiringly successful Rover project reveals science in action, a world where digital processing uncovers scientific truths, where images are used to craft consensus, and where team members develop an uncanny intimacy with the sensory apparatus of a robot that is millions of miles away. Ultimately, Vertesi shows, every image taken by the Mars Rovers is not merely a picture of Mars—it’s a portrait of the whole Rover team, as well.