Synopsis
Presenting photographs from the history of robotic space exploration, this oversized book provides an awe-inspiring visual narrative of the solar system's planets, moons, and asteroids. From the vantage point of unmanned explorers, the book shows Venus' veil of clouds lifted by Magellan's high-resolution radar; Mars as viewed by the Viking orbiters of the 1970s; and unambiguous signs of life on Earth revealed by Galileo's flybys en route to Jupiter. The striking high- resolution images form a body of art created in equal parts by scientists, by the probes themselves, and by the curator Michael Benson. Benson (a writer, filmmaker, and photographer) includes 295 color and black-and-white photographs, and essays explaining the stories behind the photos, and how and why the probes were built. The book includes a forward by novelist Arthur C. Clarke. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Library Journal
Compiled by writer/photographer/filmmaker Benson-whose work has appeared in the Atlantic Monthly and the New York Times-this collects 295 stunning photographs (color and b&w) of our solar system, taken by an assortment of interplanetary satellites since the 1960s. The amazing views (e.g., the canyons of Mars, the mountains of the moon) take up a full page, and as if that weren't enough, readers are also treated to frequent double fold-outs, giving a four-page panoramic view. For each image, there is a brief description of a prominent feature, the probe, and the date. A brief essay begins the chapter on each solar system object. These, along with a foreword by Arthur C. Clarke and an afterword by Lawrence Weschler, make up practically the entire text. But, then, this book is for viewing, not reading. For public library science and photography collections.-Margaret F. Dominy, Drexel Univ. Lib., Philadelphia Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.