Venus - Hardcover

by William Sheehan (Author), Sanjay Shridhar Limaye (Author)

From the latest scientific advances to observation advice for amateur astronomers, a beautifully illustrated exploration of one of Earth's closest neighbors.

This book is a new, beautifully illustrated account of Venus, taking in the most recent research into this mysterious, inhospitable world. The book looks at the history of our observations of the planet, from early astronomy to future space missions, and seeks to shed light on many of the questions that remain unanswered, such as why Venus and the Earth--so similar in size and mass--evolved in such different directions, and how Venus acquired its dense carbon-dioxide atmosphere. Above all, Venus assesses whether life might have escaped from the oven-like temperatures at the surface and evolved to become perpetually airborne--in which case Venus may not be lifeless after all.

Author Biography

William Sheehan is a noted historian of astronomy, writer, and retired psychiatrist. Among his twenty books are Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn, all published in Reaktion Books' Kosmos series. He lives in Arizona, and asteroid 16037 is named Sheehan in his honor. Sanjay Shridhar Limaye is based at the University of Wisconsin and has investigated the Venusian atmosphere with the Pioneer Venus, Venus Express, and Akatsuki missions.