Mars

The Pristine Beauty of the Red Planet

Alfred S McEwen, Candice Hansen-Koharcheck, Ari Espinoza University of Arizona Press £65 HB Images selected to portray the diversity of life on Earth were sent into space 40 years ago on the Voyager spacecraft, and images that might make up a Golden Record of Mars have been captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and are presented in Mars: The Pristine Beauty of the Red Planet. “You’re now at the top of the world, the summit of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the Solar System. In addition to lava flows, impact craters, and windstreaked dust, sometimes there will be features such as this lava channel.” This passage is just one example of how the authors guide readers through the

geography and geology of Mars, making us feel like birds flying above the Red Planet, looking for landing spots. But light brown dunes, reddish gullies and grey avalanches are more than just beautiful landscapes. These structures store the history of the Red Planet, from the so-called ‘modern times’ of dust and ice caps to the landforms created during its ancient history.

This is a very creative science book. Breathtaking images are well intertwined with simple text in over 20 languages, illustrating how we humans can use multiple voices to describe another planet. “This book is our version of the Golden Record,” the writers conclude.

For scientists, this book may be a record of Martian geology, history and even a search for possible future landing sites, while astronomy enthusiasts will find a snapshot of our current scientific understanding of the planet. Dreamers will use it as a tool for a journey through time and space.