Mars is much like Venus-- it's very bright and therefore easily
spotted in the night sky. Because of this, we don't know who
exactly discovered Mars. We do know it was named after the Roman
god of war, because its reddish color reminded people of blood.
In 1659, Christian Huygens discovered a strange feature on the
surface of the Red Planet. It was later called the Syrtis Major. We
have been scared of Martians ever since. In 1802, one scientist was
so convinced there was life on Mars that he wanted to draw huge
figures in the snow to signal the Martians!
In 1877, astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli discovered what he
believed to be several lines crossing one another. He claimed they
were water canals made by intelligent creatures.
In 1971, Mariner 9 visited Mars and sent back images of enormous
volcanoes and vast canyons. It discovered Olympus Mons, now the
most famous volcano not on Earth. This massive volcano could cover
the state of Missouri, and reaches 15 miles above the surface!
Mariner 9 also found evidence that water once flowed on Mars.
However, there were no sightings of Schiaparelli's famous
canals.
In 1975, two spacecraft named Viking I and II landed on Mars to
study its surface. They analyzed the rocks and soil of the planet
while providing us with information about its atmosphere and
weather patterns. Even today we are exploring Mars. The Mars Global
Surveyor made a map of the planet in 1997.
Although Mars was never really discovered, its moons were! In
1877, astronomer Asaph Hall spotted the two moons and named them
Phobos, which means fear,and Deimos, which means panic. They were
named after the mythical horses that drew the chariot of the Roman
god, Mars.
