The Mystery of Mars - Hardcover

Sally Ride And Tam O'Shaughnessy

4.17

18 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1933798106 ISBN 13: 9781933798103

Publisher: Sally Ride Science, 2006

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In The Mystery of Mars, pioneering astronaut Sally Ride and noted science writer, Tam O'Shaughnessy, draw on results from the most recent missions to Mars to present a comprehensive overview of Earth's nearest planetary neighbor. With its thin atmosphere, rocky canyons, extinct volcanoes, and icy polar regions, Mars has many things in common with Earth. Water once flowed over its surface, and there exists the possibility that life may have begun there. Comparing the two planets' evolution, geology, and geography, the authors explain what we know about Mars today-and what we hope to learn about Mars in the future, including whether primitive life does exist somewhere beneath its barren surface. The Mystery of Mars is an engaging and accessible introduction to the Red Planet, and the ideal guide to the coming age of Mars exploration.

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About the Author:

SALLY RIDE has been interested in science since she was a child. She earned bachelor s degrees in physics and English and a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University. In 1983 she became the first American woman to fly in space, when she made a six-day flight aboard the space shuttle Challenger. She made her second trip into space in 1984. Dr. Ride is now a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. She is also founder of Sally Ride Science, a company that creates innovative programs and publications for young people interested in science. TAM O SHAUGHNESSY and Sally Ride have been friends since they were teens competing in junior tennis tournaments. Dr. O Shaughnessy holds a master s degree in biology and a Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of California, Riverside. She is a professor of school psychology at San Diego State University. Tam and Sally have written four other children s science books including The Third Planet: Exploring The Earth From Space, winner of the American Institute of Physics Children s Science Writing Award.

Review:

From Florida Today Ride revisits her Mars book New edition boasts graphics and imaginative paintings CAPE CANAVERAL - NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers have revolutionized what we know about the planet Mars, an object of ongoing human fascination. Rolling along on opposite sides of the planet, the robotic geologists have uncovered concrete evidence Mars once was awash with water. And that raises the real possibility that further exploration might yield signs of past -- or present -- primitive life. Coupled with NASA's new push to send astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars, the important scientific findings prompted former astronaut Sally Ride to release a new edition of "The Mystery of Mars," a book first published in 1996. It was written with co-author Tam O'Shaughnessy, an award-winning science writer. "It's actually a revised and updated version of the book we wrote in the 1990s," Ride, who became the first American woman to fly in space in 1983, wrote in an e-mail. "But two rovers and a new strategic plan later, it was time to update it!" Written for readers ages 9 and older, "The Mystery of Mars" draws on data from rovers and other spacecraft to paint a vivid portrait of a planet "that is starkly beautiful, but cold, dry and desolate," Ride and O'Shaughnessy write. "There is no water on its surface, no oxygen in its atmosphere, and no life in its soil. But we also see clues that ancient Mars was very different. Long, long ago, Mars was a warmer planet, perhaps with thick clouds, ice-covered lakes, and maybe even primitive microscopic life." It's an excellent, introductory primer on the fourth planet from the sun -- a richly detailed look at Mars that is both engaging and scientifically accurate. It's also a visual extravaganza. Colorful computer graphics, imaginative paintings and stunning photographs from rovers and other spacecraft illustrate a rugged red world with gigantic volcanoes, yawning canyons and bone dry riverbeds. The 48-page book traces t --November 22, 2006 By Todd Halvorson , Florida Today

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