A host ofrobotshave journeyed to
the Red Planet, andwith eachour
eforethearrivalofNASA’s Mariner 4,
Marswasthoughttobe a world similar
toEarth– possiblyeven harbouring
alienlife.Astronomers suggested that
Marswaspaintedredbecausethat was the colour of
itsvegetation,andthatthestreaks along the planet
were canals of water – a popular theory proposed by
Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1877.
However, ever since Mariner 4’s arrival in 1965,
Mars has been studied intensely, and astronomers
have figured out that it is actually
a barren wasteland. Continued
exploration of Mars has shown it to
have a deep, interesting history with
amazing potential for terraforming.
These exciting prospects have all
come from the intense, around-
the-clock observations of Mars by
worldwide organisations.
B
ReportedbyLeeCavendishMars