The Red Planet Beckons
I’ve written a lot about Mars in recent years, and so have lots of other people, so I’m going to muse about a new book by one of those folks, and then talk of my own history of writing and teaching about the Red Planet.
Without a doubt, the planet remains one of the most fascinating places (for me) in the solar system. Perhaps that is why I’m drawn to projects like Uwingu’s “Beam Me to Mars” messaging fundraiser for science education and research. As of this week, nearly two dozen companies and organizations have participated as supporters in this unique project, and many individuals have signed up to send a message to Mars on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of in situ Mars exploration — November 28, 2014. I’ve posted a message of hope and inspiration simply because I have grown up thinking about our neighbor planet since I was a child. If Mars intrigues you as much as it does me, or the idea of actually GOING to Mars catches your attention, check out the project. For a few dollars you can send a message to Mars AND help fund important science and education projects.
Like everyone else who is a little “Mars mad”, I’m constantly stoked by the continual stream of images coming back from all the spacecraft on or orbiting the Red Planet. It’s like having a Web cam on Mars, giving us daily updates on an alien, yet familiar planetary landscape. This week, we all got news that the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers teams have gotten extended funding for continuing their missions. This is as it should be. We’ve spent the time and money of many people to get these spacecraft “out there” and we need to get every bit of data from them that we can. Once people DO go to Mars, their advance “insights” will be invaluable.
Speaking of Mars Curiosity, I have been thoroughly enjoying a new book out from National Geographic called Mars Up Close: Inside the Curiosity Mission, written by journalist Marc Kaufman, and introduced eloquently by Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX. It’s the kind of book I would have loved to have written (or been invited to write). Gorgeous images accompany the well-researched tale of the Curiosity mission and its many and ongoing accomplishments. I’m still working my way through it, but I urge you to check it out. With the holidays coming up, it’s the dream gift for a Mars enthusiast. I highly recommend it! Kaufman is a good writer and the images will take your breath away.
Actually, I have written and lectured about Mars a number of times. The first time was in 1988, when I created a planetarium show called “The Mars Show”. I had been a member of the Mars Underground for some years, going to meetings called “The Case for Mars”, and keeping up with the folks who, as it turned out, ended up working as PIs on some of the current missions. I rewrote the show some years later and it became MarsQuest. Both versions were narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart, who (in my mind) was the ultimate Mars guide.
As an editor at Sky & Telescope, I wrote about the Mars Spirit rover mission right after it landed and sent back some of its first images. And, since then, I’ve followed the other rovers, and the MAVEN mission (due to arrive at Mars in mid-September). Lately I’ve been thinking about ways to do yet another documentary about Mars. The planet’s grandeur and majesty deserve all the attention we can give it. We’ve paid a great price to see it, and everybody should see how cool the place really is!
There’s always something new to say about the Red Planet, and over the past few years, I have spent time speaking about Mars (and other topics in astronomy and space science) on cruise ships as a Smithsonian presenter. It’s amazing how fascinated people are with Mars. Many folks have NO idea that humanity’s fascination with the place goes back many, many centuries. In the course of one my research jaunts about Mars, I found no less than 27 different names for the planet across all the cultures on Earth. Not all of them had to do with Mars as a god of war, either. Some of them were more tuned to fertility or the health of crops. It’s fascinating how our earliest ancestors made visceral cultural connections to this reddish dot in their sky.
Today, we — their descendants, look at that same red dot in our sky, and then rush inside to look at pictures on our computers, sent from its surface by our robot explorers. I often wonder what the folks who named Mars “Nirgal” would think about that. Or the ancient Greeks, who venerated Ares. We live in very lucky times, indeed. Mars isn’t just a thing in the sky anymore. It’s a real world, with its own environment. And, we’re lucky enough to see its landscapes, every day. That’s why I write about it often, and share with anybody who’ll listen or read my blog or see my show!