Mission to Pluto: The First Visit to an Ice Dwarf and the Kuiper Belt

In July of 2015 a robotic spacecraft reached Pluto after a nine-and-half-year journey. New Horizons is the first spacecraft mission to Pluto and revealed its five moons as never before seen. Images from the mission show a reddish surface covered in ice-water mountains, moving glaciers, and hints of possible ice volcanoes and an underground ocean. Pluto is geologically alive and changing! This addition to the Scientists in the Field series goes where no person or spacecraft has ever gone before. Follow along with the team of scientists as they build New Horizons, fly it across the solar system, and make new discoveries about a world three billion miles away. AGES: 10-12 AUTHOR: Tom Uhlman has been a freelance photographer for 25 years. He photographs lots of news and sporting events, but enjoys shooting pictures of wildlife and the natural world most of all. Visiting some of the most famous volcanos in the world and meeting the people who study them was a special treat. Tom’s photographs can also be seen in upcoming Scientists in the Field book Park Scientists, and previously in Emi and the Rhino Scientist and The Bat Scientists Mary Kay Carson and Tom Uhlman are married and live with their dog Ruby in a century-old house surrounded by deer, hawks, woodchucks, songbirds, and other creatures. REVIEWS: The author’s enthusiasm shines through her clear, conversational narrative, and she quotes from personal interviews as well as press conferences and releases, extending the book’s intimacy. Kirkus Starred Review