Mars (Pocket Space Guide) - Softcover

Robert Godwin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1894959264 ISBN 13: 9781894959261

Publisher: Apogee Books, 2006

Synopsis

If you always thought that it was Giovanni Schiaparelli who first coined the phrase 'Canali' pertaining to the straight lines he appeared to observe on Mars you'd be wrong. In 1858 an astronomer working at the Vatican observatory named father Pietro Angelo Secchi took it upon himself to create his own drawings of Mars. The red planet was now nearing a close approach to earth and the powerful Vatican telescope was capable of resolving detail previously invisible to most astronomers. Secchi thought he saw a series of straight lines on the Martian surface so he made an innocuous notation in his notes. His sketches and articles were published in 1859 in which he referred several times to 'Canale Atlantico' or 'Canale Ceruleo'. His regrettable choice of words would not have an impact for another eight years. This volume tells not only of people and places that have influenced mankind's relationship with the enigmatic red planet, but it also shows you the colour drawings that Secchi made, which were provided to us directly by the Vatican itself. Along with many other interesting stories, drawings and photographs this book will be a prize for both the novice or ardent student of Mars.

About this title

About the Author

Robert Godwin is the author and editor of dozens of books about space flight and science fiction. He produced the first ever virtual reality panoramas of the Apollo lunar surface photography and the first multi-camera move of the Apollo 11 Moonwalk. He was the Space Curator at the Canadian Air Space Museum in Toronto and he co-produced the movie 2001: The Science of Futures Past.

Edition details

• Publisher: Apogee Books
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1894959264
• ISBN 13: 9781894959261
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96