Every year, we receive ever-greater images of planetary bodies, taken by the fleet of space probes currently exploring our Solar System. But to truly make sense of these incredible pictures, we first need to understand the instruments that created them and the technical constraints under which they operate.



This is the captivating story of imaging instruments in space. From the rudimentary cameras launched in the 1950's to the cutting-edge imaging instruments onboard the Mars Perseverance rover, this book covers more than 100 imaging systems sent out to explore the planetary bodies of our Solar System.




Featured within are some of the most striking images ever transmitted by these pioneering instruments, including Voyager's Pale Blue Dot, Apollo's Blue Marble, Venera's images of Venus, Cassini's discovery of Enceladus' water plumes, New Horizon's images of Pluto and Arrokoth, and much more.




Along the way, you will learn about the advancements in data transmission, digitization, citizen science, and other fields that revolutionized space imaging. The book ends with a look at future space missions, explaining how this next wave of imaging instruments will help us peer farther and more clearly across the Solar System.