What secrets does Mars hold?

This image of Mars courtesy of Views of the Solar System.

Mars has fired the curiosity and imagination of mankind for thousands of years. From the times of the Greek god of war, Ares, to our current spaceage Mars has continued to fascinate.

In the late 1800s, the "discovery" of "canals" on Mars captured the attention of thousands and launched a search for intelligent life on Mars. One hundred years later, after the canals have been widely dismissed, a mysterious "face" and strange pyramid shapes spark discussions again.

For the last thirty years unmanned spacecraft have been sent to explore this unique planet. Though no life, intelligent or otherwise, has been found some scientists speculate that primitive life may at one time have existed. Future excursions, possibly manned, are planned for the future.

Come and probe the Martian surface with us. Let's see what we can find.

Contents

Facts

• The Story of Mars
• Canals on Mars - a mistake in translation and the positive side effects it had.
• The Face , the "Pyramids" and the "Inca City" are strange formations on the surface of Mars. Are they natural or artificial?
• Vital Statistics - basic information about Mars: size, location, atmosphere, etc.
• Exploration - a summary of the exploratory craft sent to study Mars.

Reference

• Skeptic's Dictionary - Face on Mars

• Mediagraphy - lists and reviews of books, magazines, videos, etc. on Mars and related topics
• Links - lists and reviews of on-line sources of information about Mars and related topics
• Contacts - people and organizations involved with Mars and related topics

Timeline

• 1877 - Giovanni Schiaparelli observes "canali" on Mars. Canali should have been translated to channels but instead was interpreted to be canals which caused quite a stir.
• 1965 - The USA's Mariner 4 is first craft to complete a Mars flyby.
• 1971 - The USSR's Mars 1 and Mars 2 become the first landers to touchdown on Mars.
• 1976 - USA's Viking 1 & 2 land on Mars. Tasks include searching for micro-organisms, detailed terrain mapping, and weather monitoring.