This book introduces the reader to the wonders of Mars, covering all aspects from our past perceptions of the planet through to the latest knowledge on its history, its surface processes such as impact cratering, volcano formation, and glaciation, and its atmosphere and climate. In addition, a series of ten intriguing open issues are considered in a more advanced way. These include such thought-provoking questions as What turned off the planet’s magnetic field?, Why are the northern and southern hemispheres so different?, What was the fate of the once abundant water?, and Is there, or was there, life on Mars? Numerous original figures, unavailable elsewhere, reproduce details of images from Viking, CTX, MOC, HiRISE, THEMIS, and HRSC. The book will appeal especially to general readers interested in planetary sciences, astronomy, astrogeology, and space exploration and to students of Earth Sciences and Natural and Environmental Sciences. The higher-level materialon the remaining mysteries of Mars will also be of interest to astrogeologists and other researchers.

An asteroid transformed Mars from a lush planet with rivers and oceans into a bleak and icy hell. Is Earth condemned to the same fate, or can we protect ourselves and our planet from extinction? In his most riveting and revealing book yet, Graham Hancock examines the evidence that the barren Red Planet was once home to a lush environment of flowing rivers, lakes, and oceans. Could Mars have sustained life and civilization? Megaliths found on the parched shores of Cydonia, a former Martian ocean, mirror the geometrical conventions of the pyramids at Egypt's Giza necropolis. Especially startling is a Sphinx-like structure depicting a face with distinguishable diadem, teeth, mouth and an Egyptian-style headdress. Might there be a connection between the structures of Egypt and those of Mars? Why does NASA continue to dismiss these remarkable anomalies as "a trick of light"? Hancock points to the intriguing possibility that ancient Martian civilization is communicating with us through the remarkable structures it left behind. In exploring the possible traces left by the Martian civilization and the cosmic cataclysm that may have ended it, The Mars Mystery is both an illumination of our ancient past and a warning--that we still have time to heed--about our ultimate fate.

Has there ever been life on Mars? Will we be living there soon? HOW?! Discover the past, present, and future of the mysterious red planet in this beautiful non-fiction book for kids. The launch of Mars rovers by NASA, Europe, and China in 2020 will be the biggest science news of the year and will reveal more about Mars than ever before. Get ahead with this amazing new book, which explores the evidence for past life on Mars, what's happening there now, and what it might look like to one day live on the red planet. Discover incredible space technology, learn how to spot the planet in the night sky throughout the year, and find out if YOU'VE got what it takes to join the teams traveling to Mars in the coming years. Children will adore this essential guide to the red planet. Incredible images and fun illustrations will ignite their imagination and give them a fascinating insight into what the future might hold...

Uncover the mysteries, wonders, and history of Mars—as close to an eye-witness perspective of the incredible Red Planet as any reader can get. The history of Mars is drawn not just on its surface, but also down into its broken bedrock and up into its frigid air. Most of all, it stretches back into deep time, where the trackways of the past have been obliterated and there is no discernible trace of where they started from or how they travelled, only where they ended up. From the planet’s formation 4.5 billion years ago, through eras that featured cataclysmic meteor strikes, explosive volcanoes and a vast ocean that spanned the entire upper hemisphere, to the long, frozen ages that saw its atmosphere steadily thinning and leaking away into space, planetary geologist Dr. Simon Morden presents a tantalizing vision of our nearest neighbour, its dramatic history, and astonishing present.

The most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars—yesterday, today, and tomorrow—through history, archival images, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until the 19th century when “canals” were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there’s life on Mars. Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), an iconic Looney Tunes character, and many novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It’s this cultural familiarity with the fourth planet that continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration, from NASA’s launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk’s quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX by 2024. Perhaps, one day, we’ll be able to answer the questions our ancestors asked when they looked up at the night sky millennia ago.

This ultimate guide to Mars launches 7–9 year olds on a breathtaking journey through the past, present, and future of the Red Planet with stunning illustrations, photographs, and fascinating information. Has there ever been life on Mars? Will we be living there soon? How? Discover the past, present, and future of the mysterious Red Planet in this beautiful nonfiction book for kids. It explores the evidence for past life on Mars, what's happening there now, and what it might look like to one day live on the Red Planet. Be amazed by the tallest mountain in the solar system, discover how houses on Mars could look, and find out if you've got what it takes to join the teams traveling to Mars in the future. Packed with fun illustrations by artist Mark Ruffle, combined with images from space agencies such as NASA and ESA, information panels, and diagrams, children will adore this essential guide to the Red Planet. This reissue has been created to ensure the facts and information are up to date with the latest science and technology.

In 1997, NASA's Pathfinder began a new era in Mars exploration when it touched down and, along with its tiny rover, Sojourner, explored the Martian surface for the first time in 20 years. In December 1999, a new NASA spacecraft will land on Mars, to be followed by several more missions over the coming decade. In The Mystery of Mars, former astronaut Sally Ride and science teacher Tam O'Shaughnessy draw on the latest Pathfinder data, as well as decades of study of Mars, to present a comprehensive overview of Earth's nearest neighbor. With its thin atmosphere, rocky canyons, extinct volcanoes, and icy polar regions, Mars has many things in common with Earth--and may have even had life. Comparing the two planets' evolution, geology, and geography, the authors explain what we know about Mars today and what we hope to learn about it in the future. With lavish color photographs, this engaging and accessible introduction to the Red Planet is the ideal guide to this new age of Mars research. "From the Hardcover edition.