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
- European Space Agency Venus Express Page
- High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment
- Jet Propulsion Lab Mars Exploration Page
- Mars Globe HD app
- Mars Rover 360° Panorama
- NASA Center for Mars Exploration
- NASA Solar System Exploration Mars Page
- NASA Solar System Exploration Venus Page
- NASA’s apps about Mars for phones and tablets can be found at
- NASA’s Magellan Mission to Venus
- Russian (Soviet) Venus Missions and Images
- Venus Atlas app
- Venus Express Results Article
Videos
50 Years of Mars Exploration: NASA’s summary of all missions through MAVEN; good quick overview (4:08).
Magellan Maps Venus: BBC clip with Dr. Ellen Stofan on the radar images of Venus and what they tell us (3:06).
Being a Mars Rover: What It’s Like to be an Interplanetary Explorer: 2013 talk by Dr. Lori Fenton about what it’s like on the surface of Mars (1:07:24):
Our Curiosity: 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: Quick tour of Venus’ atmosphere and surface (2:04):
Planetary Protection and Hitchhikers in the Solar System: The Danger of Mingling Microbes: 2009 talk by Dr. Margaret Race on preventing contamination between worlds (1:28:50):