The Sirens of Mars

Starred review from March 16, 2020
Planetary scientist Johnson delivers an enthusiastic and lyrical chronicle of the scientific quest to uncover Mars’s secrets. From Mars’s prominent place in the night sky, to the water-filled “canali” 19th-century Milanese astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli and 20th-century Mars enthusiast Percival Lowell imagined they perceived on its surface, the red planet has long provoked imagination and speculation. “Before it rusted over, Mars was much more like Earth,” Johnson writes by way of explaining why modern scientists, including herself, have searched for life on an apparently barren planet. Evincing a gift for vivid imagery, she shares memories from her own work, including of how computer software transforms images of the Martian surface into detail-packed, “psychedelic swathes of colors.” She also provides a general timeline of the four Mars rover missions, detailing the goals and findings of each one, always focusing on the discoveries’ implications for the search for alien life, as when a rover discovered traces of the elements required for life: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Johnson’s skillful narrative will engage serious students of planetary science as well as armchair adventurers curious about “a wilderness stretching off into the horizon, vast and full of possibility.”

April 1, 2020
A planetary scientist details the remarkable history of humankind's efforts to find signs of life on Mars. Speculation on the nature of Mars, and whether it could harbor life, goes back to the early days of astronomy, when thinkers such as Galileo and Newton peered into the night sky using primitive technologies to examine Mars' surface. For centuries, theories of what existed there ran rampant. "The idea that Mars was like our planet only drove the quest to see it better," writes Johnson, who teaches at Georgetown. Then, in November 1964, NASA launched the spacecraft Mariner 4 and obtained the first close-up images of Mars. This success presaged many Mars missions, three of which the author worked on as a planetary scientist. In accessible and sometimes captivating language, Johnson tells the stories of the people and technologies driving these pioneering quests to study the red planet's biochemical and geographical makeup. She also deftly unpacks the existential stakes that underlie scientists' aspirations to demonstrate that humans are not alone in the universe. Blending professional and personal narratives in her discussions of major discoveries--e.g., Mars' surface once held water; Martian rock samples contain the elements required for life--she provides a lucid portrait of the countless challenges and breakthroughs of planetary science. The author also demonstrates how the field of extremophile biology--"investigating the crooks and crevices of our planet to better understand the limits of life"--is a key component in the Mars efforts. These recurring themes of optimism, persistence, and survival anchor the book and infuse Johnson's writing with philosophical weight. Finding life on Mars, she writes, "would be a shimmering hope that life might not be an ephemeral thing, even if we are." A vivid, poetic account that leaves readers eager to see what's next in the quest to find extraterrestrial life.

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May 15, 2020
Planetary scientist Johnson walks readers through the history of Mars exploration, from the earliest days, when scientists gazed up at the red planet searching for signs of life through telescopic lenses, to the contemporary study of Mars via rovers. After centuries of viewing Mars from afar and speculating about the possibility of life there, the first successful mission to the red planet was launched in 1965, when the Mariner 4 spacecraft sent back images, but the desolate surface it revealed was more similar to the Moon than Earth. As scientists continued to study life in inhospitable climates on our own planet, and subsequent missions revealed evidence that water had once existed on Mars, hopes of discovering life there were rekindled. Johnson details her call to science as a girl, her experiences as a female scientist, and how her involvement with Mars began in 2004 when, as a graduate student, she went to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to observe the rovers Curiosity and Opportunity as they roamed the Martian terrain. A heady and thoughtful history for space and science buffs.Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

June 1, 2020

For centuries, Mars has been a source of fascination for many astronomers and other scientists. Johnson (planetary science, Georgetown Univ.) paints a colorful history of the Red Planet and the people who have attempted to uncover its secrets. She recounts many of the scientists who have observed Mars ever since the Mesopotamians distinguished Mars as a planet and not a star. Ground-breaking astronomers such as Galileo, Christian Huygens, Giovanni Schiaparelli, and Percival Lowell hoped to learn more about the geography and climate of the planet. Yet, like astronomer Carl Sagan of Cosmos fame, the author is lured by the notion that life exists beyond Earth. Through her descriptions of NASA Mars missions such as Mariner, Viking, and Pathfinder, the author reveals her passion to join the quest for knowing Mars. Johnson also reflects about what exploring Mars means for human existence, drawing readers into learning about each new revelation brought forth by scientists or planetary rovers. VERDICT Part natural history of Mars and part personal story, this narrative is accessible and eloquent, making it essential for armchair explorers and Mars enthusiasts. Johnson's journey is also inspiring to women interested in S.T.E.M. careers.--Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

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