Utterly beautiful maps

I should have done this a very long time ago.

The other day, at a party, I saw a bookclub version of Mapping Mars (a friend's party, I should add -- it's not the sort of thing you find in a stranger's house...) The bookclub version has no endpapers at all, not even the somewhat unsatisfactory ones found in the UK paperback. However, here on the web you can get the most splendid possible endpapers, thanks to the excellent Ralph Aeschliman. Ralph did the black and white endpapers for the hardback, but has also developed these more detailed maps in colour, which situate all the features mentioned in the book and quite a few more besides.

These are the maps that I'd like the reader to have to hand when reading the book. Book; maps; maybe a glass of Gigondas or a dram of the Black Bottle; a fire just past its roaring peak, somewhere between flame and ember; a propensity for dreaming: that's the way to do it.

The downloads about half a meg. Here's the western hemisphere (front endpaper)

Here's the eastern.

Or, if you prefer, here's the whole thing as a Lambert projection

If you like them, let Ralph know.

Comments

[Joe Mansfied]

These really are magnificient. Off I go to read Mapping Mars again.

Thank you both.

[John McKnight]

Lovely maps, thank you!

I've been lurking for a while, partially in hopes of seeing that you'd be at CONTACT again this year, but it seems not.

Regards from Allie as well; we'll miss you!

[Borek]

The maps are nice, but I dislike the way they are captioned. Also I've notice odd-looking diacritics in the craten name Milancovic.