{"product_id":"2940013170940","title":"Mars (Illustrated)","description":"Percival Lawrence Lowell (March 13, 1855–November 12, 1916) was a businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who was among the first to suggest there were canals on Mars, an important observation that has led the scientists of today to speculate that Mars once held water. He also founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death. The choice of the name Pluto and its symbol were partly influenced by his initials PL. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the height of his astronomical career, Lowell studied Mars extensively and made intricate drawings of the surface markings as he perceived them. Lowell published his views in three books: Mars (1895), Mars and Its Canals (1906), and Mars As the Abode of Life (1908). His works include a detailed description of what he termed the 'non-natural features' of the planet's surface, including especially a full account of the 'canals,' single and double; the 'oases,' as he termed the dark spots at their intersections; and the varying visibility of both, depending partly on the Martian seasons. He theorized that an advanced but desperate culture had built the canals to tap Mars' polar ice caps, the last source of water on an inexorably drying planet. With these writings, Lowell fueled the belief that these details indicated Mars was or could be the home of intelligent life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis edition of Mars includes illustrations.","brand":"Charles River Editors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47082301882608,"sku":"2940013170940","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013170940_p0.jpg?v=1763577744","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013170940","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}