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"My goal in this book is to share the beauty, desolation, grandeur, and sometimes plain old alien strangeness of the [fourth planet from the Sun] Mars, that has been revealed to us through the [Mars Exploratory] Rover [MER] cameras. In editing the enormous number of photographs we've taken down to 150 or so [of the best images] included here, I chose images that were representative of different phases of each rover's journey, and of major scientific successes (or occasionally disappointments) along the way. I've included some of the history and the stories behind the [MER] mission [in the text that accompanies the images] and the pictures as well."
The above is found in the preface of this mesmerizing and historical book by associate astronomy professor at Cornell University, Dr. Jim Bell, "the lead scientist for the Pancam color imaging system on the NASA [MER]...missions." Note that the two MER robotic vehicles named "Spirit" and "Opportunity" (that are still functioning on Mars while this review is being written) are personally my favorite Martians.
This book has the following sections entitled as follows:
(1) The first thing to photograph
(2) With Spirit in Gusev Crater
(3) An Opportunity in Meridiani [Planum]
(4) Postcript
In section two readers follow the MER vehicle Spirit as it lands on Jan. 4, 2004 in the 160-km-wide (about 100 mile wide) impact crater named Gusev, "about 15 [degrees] south of [Mar's] equator." It explores this site and eventually ventures out from the crater taking magnificent photographs all along its journey. There are more than sixty awe-inspiring, mainly color images in this section. In this section are two "gatefolds" that are basically double pull-out photos that have a final width of about forty-five inches. These especially are breathtaking.
Section three is basically the same as section two except this time we follow the MER vehicle Opportunity as it lands on Jan. 24, 2004 at Meridiani Planum or "the `plains of the meridian,' near 0 [desrees] longitude on Mars." It "is a flat, relatively rock-free area almost on the equator" and "almost exactly on the other side of the planet" from Gusev. Again there more than sixty, mainly color images including two gatefolds.
The postscript includes "the three best of the very latest 2006 images." (However, I counted six images in this section altogether.)
The first section includes images of the rovers before launch as well as what instruments they are equipped with. There are twenty images that I found very interesting.
Finally, don't get the idea that this is just a picture book! Bell's scintillating text that accompanies all four sections of the book captures everything (and I mean everything!) about the mission so far especially the drama. What better person to talk about the mission than a scientist who was actually there experiencing everything day-in and day-out or perhaps I should more accurately say "sol-in and sol-out." (A "sol" is a Martian day, about 24 hours 39 minutes Earth time.)
I have two conclusions for this book:
First, this book is truly a masterpiece of both art and science. Is Jim Bell really, as the book's subtitle says "the first photographer of the red planet." After reading and admiring the historic photos in this book, the answer is obvious.
Second, after reading this book, I appreciated even more the beautiful, alive planet I now live on. Yes, the planet Mars is a geologist's paradise but I saw no life in the photos beamed back by my favorite Martians.
(first published late 2006; forward by Bill Nye ("the science guy"); preface; 3 parts or sections; postscript; main narrative 190 pages; acknowledgements; appendix; additional resources; index)
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