Postcards from Mars: The First Photographer on the Red Planet [Paperback]

Nowadays, astronomical images can be viewed as digital form on your computer monitor so easily. However, there is a true difference between the perspectives you seen from the computer monitor compared to a high resolution print. Although I believed that I have seen many images obtained by the latest Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, I am still amazed by the high quality prints presented in the book "Postcard From Mars".

Working as the lead scientist for the Pancam, Jim Bell shared with us some of the greatest images on the Gusev Crater and the Meridiani Planum processed by him. Many of these photos are astonishing, the vastness and emptiness of Mars can use no words to describe.

Besides the wonderful scenes, the story and scientific discoveries of the rovers are also well written by Jim. As a first person working in the Mars Exploration Rover mission, he told the background story of the planning and the implementation of the mission, how exciting are the blueberries found on the Meridiani Planum and show the wetter ancient Mars. His words are simple, concise and often wit, even beginner can easily understand.

If you would like to know more about Mars, space exploration or new developments in science, this book is definitely your choice.

+++++

"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)

+++++

As the two MER Opportunity and Spirit continue their treks about the surface of Mars, Bell's book is a significant contribution to the public awarness of the MER program and Mars the planet. If the reader seeks a detailed scientific knowledge of Mars, I would suggest another book. Bell provides the book owner the glorious images of the success of the two rovers going about Mars today. The images and their display are incrediable. The book is fitting tribute to the science team that lived on Mars Sol time to provide them. The maps of the treks of the rovers are essential to the reader to gain insight as to the real distances the vehicles have traversed about the planet. There is so, so, so much to explore. So, if you want to get a sense of the surface of The Red Planet and see what images the rovers have produced beyond their 3 years of exploration buy this book. I did. It is a great coffee table converstaion addition too. But, in fairness to the reader, if your looking to get the detailed scientific knowlwdge of Mars today, you should supplement your purchase with equally recent published books provding analysis of the sceintific details. The visualzations contained in the pages of this book are, nonetheless, priceless. This book should be in every college and university library today! This book truly gives meaning to the saying " every picture is worth a thousand words!" In this book, a thousand words per picture would be to minimize the product.