The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery [Paperback]

William Sheehan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

Twenty years after the Viking missions of the ’70s, we are finally going back to Mars. No fewer than ten missions are planned for the period between 1996 and 2003, and it is likely that human explorers will follow soon after--perhaps by the middle of the twenty-first century. When they do, they will owe much to the Mars of romance, to the early pioneers whose discoveries and disappointments are brought to life in The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery. In this timely and vividly written account, William Sheehan traces human fascination with Mars back to the naked-eye observers of the planet. He recalls the early telescopic observers who first made out enigmatic markings and polar caps on its surface. Through lively historical anecdotes, he describes in detail the debate over the so-called canals of Mars, which encouraged speculation that the planet might be inhabited. Finally, Sheehan describes more recent theories about the planet, leading up to the present, when unmanned spacecraft have enabled us to make giant strides in exploration. Well documented and sparked with human interest, this book will be a useful companion and guide in interpreting the barrage of headlines about Mars that is sure to come over the next few years. Amateurs will appreciate the contributions that have been made to Martian studies by people like themselves, and professionals will find much original material that has never before been published. The American Mars Global Surveyor is scheduled for launch in November 1996, and soon after the American Mars Pathfinder will make its way toward the red planet. A Russian mission consisting of an orbiter and two landers will be launched in October 1997. These space travelers will write a whole new chapter in the dramatic story of Mars, a planet whose exploration has only just begun. Astronomy Book Club main selection and selections of Book-of-the-Month Club and Quality Paperback Book Club.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For those readers newly interested in astronomy, Sheehan offers an accessible history of the men who collected data about Mars and interpreted it. It's a little slow in starting; the earliest sections betray amateur astronomer Sheehan's fascination with the history of optics: "One of these triplet lenses with a 3.75-inch (95-mm) aperture was purchased by Neville Maskelyne for the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, and another, of 3.8 inches (97mm), was acquired by the wealthy connoisseur," etc., etc. And it's also hard to believe that most general readers' interest will be sustained through albedo studies or his explanation of the Martian seasons. But what is arguably the central story is the coherent and compelling narrative of Giovanni Schiaparelli, Percival Lowell and the description of the "canals" of Mars, dark markings that Schiaparelli described and Lowell posited were a civilized society's attempts to harness water from melting polar caps. Sheehan points out that with the canals and the Martians who built them disproven and astrophysics on the rise, planetary astronomy suffered from neglect. The timing of Sheehan's (Planets and Perception) book was right on and slightly off. He missed the announcement of the discovery of what may be chemical and fossil evidence of life in the Martian rock ALH84001; but much of his history is concerned with the chimerical promise of life on the planet. "The odds of finding living organisms on Mars were obviously very slim," he says later in the book, "but it seemed that they might not be nil." Astronomy Book Club main.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Although two decades have passed since the last spacecraft successfully visited Mars, several missions will be launched in the next year. In this timely volume, Sheehan (Worlds in the Sky, LJ 9/1/92) traces the history of our understanding of the planet that most closely resembles Earth and the evolution of the belief that, consequently, Mars harbors intelligent life. This optimistic view peaked with Percival Lowell's theories regarding the famous Martian canals in the early 20th century and finally was discredited by subsequent advances in astronomy and space science. Sheehan documents the discoveries made by earlier astronomers on through the Mariner and Viking spacecraft, which returned stunning images of Mars as it truly is?a cold, dry planet with the largest volcanoes and canyons in the Solar System. With the launch of the Mars Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft scheduled for later this year, this book is recommended for libraries seeking to update their astronomy collections.?Thomas J. Frieling, Bainbridge Coll., Ga.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: University of Arizona Press (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816516413
• ISBN-13: 978-0816516414
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,101,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Planet Mars lives in your hands...and in your mind., November 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery (Paperback)

Sheehan's The Planet Mars is a welcome break from so many astronomy texts that wobble erratically with the imbalance of inaccurate and antiquated data, conceptual difficulty and/or poor production. Other books may have more cool pictures, but few match Sheehan's in historical range and accuracy.

If you want to know about the minds behind the exploration of Mars from pre-telescopic observation through the great astronomers to today's space scientists, then this is a great resource. If you want the data that will help you in your own study of the ruddy orb, then this is a fantastic starting point.

Recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, March 26, 2001

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery (Paperback)

In this book, the author traces the history of man's knowledge about the planet Mars. Beginning in ancient times, he traces the evolution of theories about Mars, as it was influenced by the steady march of technological development. The reader gets to watch development of the belief in life on Mars, culminating in the humorous conjectures of Percival Lowell. Then, great detail is given on the facts learned from the Mariner, Viking and Russian Phobos missions. The final chapter is a real jewel, being an in-depth explanation on how an amateur astronomer should observe Mars.

This is a great book, the first chapters being history, and the later one providing a great deal of information about what was known about Mars in 1996. Not only are such things as the valleys and outflow channels examined, but also a whole chapter is devoted to Mars' moons, including how they would appear to an observer on the planet's surface.

The author does disparage the Imperial measurement system, and refuses to use any measurement but metric (except for temperatures for some reason), but this is not really a surprise. As such, this is a great book for those interested in the history of astronomy, but also a great book for those interested in what the planet of Mars is really like.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched work on the red planet..., December 11, 2000

By 

John Rummel (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery (Paperback)

Amateur astronomer and historian of astronomer William Sheehan provides a thorough account of the study of the planet Mars. He takes us on a chronological tour of the major developments, from the early pre-telescopic days of Kepler's work on the orbit, to the telescopic investigations, to the Mariner probes and Viking landers. Extensive treatment is given to observers such as Lowell, Antoniadi, Schiapaelli, and others, practically an "opposition by opposition" account. Sheehan's "Planet Mars" is an indispensable addition to the library of any fanatic of the red planet.