We came right back down to Earth when we welcomed National Air and Space Museum curator Margaret Weitekamp in August. Margaret based much of “Space Craze” on the wildly diverse collection of space memorabilia she manages at the museum. From Buck Rogers to John Glenn, and from Mercury capsule cookie jars to Star Trek phasers, Margaret demonstrated how our cultural artifacts reflect our deepest hopes and fears.
There was still more fun when we took up “The Martians” in September. Author David Baron spent years uncovering the full story of how Americans went crazy for the red planet and its denizens at the turn of the 20th century. We would eventually realize the Martians and their canals were never really there, in spite of passionate support for them from Nikola Tesla, Alexander Graham Bell, Percival Lowell, and scores of other great thinkers.
Members of the Society know the great work of our colleague Kate Howells through her stewardship of our magazine, The Planetary Report, and our weekly newsletter, The Downlink. They may not have been as familiar with her books, including “Moons: The Mysteries and Marvels of our Solar System.” I thought I knew my moons, but I picked up more than a few more fascinating facts in its pages, and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Kate about them.
If anything unites our authors, it’s their passion for the Cosmos and their driving need to share the love. Wow, is this ever true of Adam Frank. The astrophysicist’s latest is “The Little Book of Aliens.” It’s a frequently hilarious romp across the rapidly advancing search for life, and especially for intelligent life. Our readers and I also appreciated Adam’s take on the widespread belief that we are already being visited by little green people.
It’s not too late to pick up one or both of our December selections for the young (or older) space nerd in your life. “Are We Alone?” and “The Size of Space” are the latest and the last in the long series of books by our own chief scientist, Bruce Betts. These slim volumes are packed with facts and great illustrations. I can hardly wait to welcome Bruce to a live conversation about them in early January.
Want to join the club? Join The Planetary Society! All of our members have access to our rich online member community that hosts the book club. You’ll be with us as we read “The Giant Leap” by astronomer Caleb Scharf in January, and then pick up “The Launch of Rocket Lab” in February of 2026. That month will climax as we greet Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck. Happy reading!