For the Love of Mars: A Human History of the Red Planet

The Love of Mars explores the red planet's place in the human imagination, from ancient astrologers to modern explorers, and how it has inspired exploration and knowledge about the universe.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 18 May 2023
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Mars, the captivating red planet, has long held the fascination and mystique of humans since ancient times. Its vibrant color, visibility, geologic similarities to Earth, and potential as a future human settlement make it an embodiment of our dreams and aspirations about space exploration.

For the Love of Mars delves into the rich tapestry of human imagination surrounding Mars, spanning from ancient astrologers and skywatchers to our present-day era of exploration and virtual engagement. National Air and Space Museum curator Matthew Shindell explores how historical figures across different eras and regions have interpreted and understood this enigmatic planet.

We meet Mayan astrologer priests who incorporated Mars into their seasonal calendars and religious ceremonies, Babylonian astrologers who discerned bad omens, figures of the Scientific Revolution who grappled with its existence as a world, Victorian astronomers who searched for signs of intelligent life, and twentieth- and twenty-first-century scientists who have established a technological presence on its surface.

Throughout the journey, we encounter writers and artists from each of these periods who transport readers and viewers to the captivating world of Mars through their imaginative narratives. Shindell's approach highlights how Mars exploration has not only expanded our knowledge about the red planet but also shed light on other aspects of the universe.

Captained by an engaging and erudite expert, For the Love of Mars offers a captivating voyage through time and space for anyone with a curiosity about Mars and the wonders of the universe.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226821894