Going to MARS

The McGill Arctic Research Station on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut has been operating continuously since 1960, and its name is more than a coincidence: this outpost at 79º26' North latitude is about as close as we can get to Mars on Earth. Getting there, living there, and doing research there are all adventures that the reader can experience from the comfort of home. The scientists who make the journey, sometimes each summer for decades, study the climate of this fascinating region, its flora and fauna, and its microfauna: the bacteria and protozoa that are the only inhabitants of much of the area. Their work tells us about the history of this planet, and about how best to search for microbial life elsewhere in the Solar System. The photos in the book show not only the scenery at the macroscale, but also visit the microscopic world to examine the lifeforms that dominate extreme environments. Glaciers, wolves, Arctic hare, willow, and Thiomicrospira: this land uninhabited by humans and dark 4 months of the year is a surprise of biodiversity. Travel to MARS, and you may begin to believe in life on Mars.

Statia de cercetare arctica McGill de pe insula Axel Heiberg, Nunavut, functioneaza continuu din 1960 si numele sau este mai mult decat o coincidenta: acest avanpost la latitudinea nordica de 79º26 'este cam la fel de aproape cat putem ajunge de Marte pe Pamant. Ajungand acolo, locuind acolo si cercetand exista toate aventurile pe care cititorul le poate trai din confortul casei.