Reviews

Vaporous Venus--with sulfuric yellow clouds and crushing air pressure--is one of the planets explored in this "Far-Out Guide to the Solar System" series, offering a multitude of facts to report-writers, focusing on what scientists know and the many perplexing questions still to be answered. Young researchers will learn that, though Venus (named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty) is Earth's neighbor, its carbon-dioxide atmosphere makes it the hottest planet, causing what the author calls "nightmare weather." The space probe Venus Express (2007) discovered dramatic lightning and evidence of ancient oceans, their water boiled away by intense heat. In one of the boxed "Far-Out Facts" scattered through the text, readers discover that greenhouse gases explain the extremes; perhaps a model of what could happen on Earth. Three pages of Fast Facts add more information; for example, Venus's features are named for famous women and goddesses. A "Venus Timeline of Exploration and Discovery" introduces a section about space missions that have probed the planet's surface. Though Mariner 2 flew by in 1962, the first look beneath Venus's clouds came with landings by space probes Venera. In 1990 orbiter Magellan, began mapping Venus's surface with radar, revealed mountains, canyons, valleys, and plains--volcanoes and craters abound. Illustrations are photos (color when possible), computer enhancements, and paintings. An especially striking series shows brightly-colored 3-D maps made by Magellan. What is next for Venus? Orbiter Planet-C may arrive in 2015 [updated information] to study climate, while engineers are working on a rover mission called Venus Mobile Explorer (projected for 2025), with instruments able to withstand extreme heat. Included are a useful glossary and a list of books and websites about Venus explorations, the solar system, and planet-watching., Children's Literature