For Further Exploration
Articles
Venus
Dorminey, B. “Cool Science on a Hot World.” Astronomy (February 2006): 46. Five-page overview of Venus and the Venus Express mission plans.
Kargel, J. “Rivers of Venus.” Sky & Telescope (August 1997): 32. On lava channels.
Robertson, D. “Parched Planet.” Sky & Telescope (April 2008): 26. Overview of our understanding of the planet.
Robinson, C. “Magellan Reveals Venus.” Astronomy (February 1995): 32.
Stofan, E. “The New Face of Venus.” Sky & Telescope (August 1993): 22.
Zimmerman, R. “Taking Venus by Storm.” Astronomy (October 2008): 66. On results from the Venus Express mission.
Mars
Albee, A. “The Unearthly Landscapes of Mars.” Scientific American (June 2003): 44. Results from the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey missions and an overview.
Bell, J. “A Fresh Look at Mars.” Astronomy (August 2015): 28. Nice summary of recent spacecraft results and how they are revising our understanding of Mars.
Bell, J. “Uncovering Mars’ Secret Past.” Sky & Telescope (July 2009): 22. How rovers and orbiters are helping us to understand Mars history and the role of water.
Bell, J. “The Red Planet’s Watery Past.” Scientific American (December 2006): 62. Rovers are furnishing proof that ancient Mars was wet.
Burnham, R. “Red Planet Rendezvous.” Astronomy (May 2006): 68. About Mariner Valley and a flyover film constructed from many still images.
Christensen, P. “The Many Faces of Mars.” Scientific American (July 2005): 32. Results from the Rover mission; evidence that Mars was once wet in places.
Lakdawalla, E. “The History of Water on Mars.” Sky & Telescope (September 2013): 16. Clear review of our current understanding of the role of water on Mars in different epochs.
Malin, M. “Visions of Mars.” Sky & Telescope (April 1999): 42. A geological tour of the red planet, with new Mars Global Surveyor images.
McEwen, A. “Mars in Motion.” Scientific American (May 2013): 58. On gullies and other surface changes.
McKay, C. & Garcia, V. “How to Search for Life on Mars.” Scientific American (June 2014): 44. Experiments future probes could perform.
Naeye, R. “Europe’s Eye on Mars.” Sky & Telescope (December 2005): 30. On the Mars Express mission and the remarkable close-up images it is sending.
Talcott, R. “Seeking Ground Truth on Mars.” Astronomy (October 2009): 34. How rovers and orbiters are helping scientists understand the red planet’s surface.
Websites
European Space Agency Mars Express Page: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mars_Express.
European Space Agency Venus Express Page: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Venus_Express.
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/.
Jet Propulsion Lab Mars Exploration Page: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/.
Mars Globe HD app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mars-globe-hd/id376020224?mt=8.
Mars Rover 360° Panorama: http://www.360cities.net/image/curiosity-rover-martian-solar-day-2#171.10,26.50,70.0. Interactive.
NASA Center for Mars Exploration: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/main/index.html.
NASA Solar System Exploration Mars Page: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars.
NASA Solar System Exploration Venus Page: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/venus.
NASA’s Magellan Mission to Venus: http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/magellan/.
Russian (Soviet) Venus Missions and Images: http://mentallandscape.com/C_CatalogVenus.htm.
Venus Atlas app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/venus-atlas/id317310503?mt=8.
Venus Express Results Article: http://www.mpg.de/798302/F002_Focus_026-033.pdf.
Videos
50 Years of Mars Exploration: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1395. NASA’s summary of all missions through MAVEN; good quick overview (4:08).
Being a Mars Rover: What It’s Like to be an Interplanetary Explorer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRpCOEsPD54. 2013 talk by Dr. Lori Fenton about what it’s like on the surface of Mars (1:07:24).
Magellan Radar Maps of Venus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK4JnGTCawM. Fly-overs of six regions on Venus from the Jet Propulsion Labs.
Our Curiosity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XczKXWvokm4. Mars Curiosity rover 2-year anniversary video narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Felicia Day (6:01).
Planet Venus: The Deadliest Planet, Venus Surface and Atmosphere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqFVxWfVtoo. Quick tour of Venus’ atmosphere and surface (2:04).
Planetary Protection and Hitchhikers in the Solar System: The Danger of Mingling Microbes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iGC3uO7jBI. 2009 talk by Dr. Margaret Race on preventing contamination between worlds (1:28:50).