Venus (Kosmos)

**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. "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"--Publisher's description Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 1. The ‘Evening Star’ 12 2. The Telescope: A New Phase Begins 29 3. Adventures in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 45 4. A Planet of Illusions – and a Few Facts 63 5. Chasing Spectra 92 6. A New Era: Radar and Spacecraft 115 7. What Are the Clouds Made Of? 134 8. The Surface of Venus 151 9. Life on Venus 187 10. Observing Venus 206 Appendix I: Venus Data 216 Appendix II: Spacecraft Missions to Venus 220 Appendix III: Transits of Venus, 1631 to 2255 226 Note on Style, Constants, Units of Measurement and Abbreviations 228 References 232 Further Reading and Resources 244 Acknowledgements 245 Photo Acknowledgements 247 Index 250