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The Moon

A History for the Future

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
An intimate portrait of the Earth's closest neighbor—the Moon—that explores the history and future of humankind's relationship with it
Every generation has looked towards the heavens and wondered at the beauty of the Moon. Fifty years ago, a few Americans became the first to do the reverse—and shared with Earth-bound audiences the view of their own planet hanging in the sky instead.
Recently, the connection has been discovered to be even closer: a fragment of the Earth's surface was found embedded in a rock brought back from the Moon. And astronauts are preparing to return to the surface of the Moon after a half-century hiatus—this time to the dark side.
Oliver Morton explores how the ways we have looked at the Moon have shaped our perceptions of the Earth: from the controversies of early astronomers such as van Eyck and Galileo, to the Cold War space race, to the potential use of the Moon as a stepping stone for further space exploration.
Advanced technologies, new ambitions, and old dreams mean that men, women, and robots now seem certain to return to the Moon. For some, it is a future on which humankind has turned its back for too long. For others, an adventure yet to begin.
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    • Kirkus

      Starred review from May 1, 2019
      An engaging, multifaceted view of the moon. British science writer and editor Morton (The Planet Remade: How Geoengineering Could Change the World, 2016, etc.) provides an account that is not only rich in facts, but leavened with fiction, for the author seems to have read widely in the literature of science fiction to show the interest, ideas, and fantasies people have had about our nearest companion in the solar system. To show how the moon has been perceived by humans over the centuries, he draws on Renaissance paintings, Victorian works, music, Robert Heinlein's novels, and transcripts of conversations between Apollo astronauts and mission control in Houston. A respected writer on a variety of space-related topics, Morton presents solid facts about the moon, including its size, mass, surface features, orbit, atmosphere (or lack thereof), and, importantly, light. As the subtitle suggests, the author also looks at the future, and he reports that although a half-century has passed since man first walked on the moon, its exploration is far from over. In fact, he writes, "a flotilla of robotic payloads is slated to beach up on the lunar surface in the next five or so years, some from established spacefaring powers like China, India and American, some from newcomers, such as Israel and Canada. Some will be paid for as business investments, and some as philanthropy, instead of by governments, and some by money from all those sources. Some will get there under their own steam; some will pay for a ride on another company's, or country's, bus. Some will be given their rides for free." The author also explores moon-mining, the production of solar energy, and space tourism. He predicts that humans will likely return to the moon, perhaps to stay, maybe even setting up bases and villages; indeed, the moon could well become a steppingstone to Mars. Accessible, informative, and entertaining--first-rate popular science reporting.

      COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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  • English

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