We’ve come a long way from the first observation of Mars through a telescope to the present day where rovers drive across its surface. It’s exciting to explore something that once only existed as a speck in our sky.
More than 400 years ago, Galileo Galilei was the first to look at Mars through a telescope.
In 1965, our we conducted our first flyby of Mars. NASA’s Mariner 4 captured this image, which was not only the first close-up image of Mars, but also the first close-up image of another planet:
Mariner 4’s first image. Image Credit: NASA
We have also learned more about Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos. Take a look at the first good close-up of Phobos from Mariner 9:
Phobos from Mariner 9. Image Credit: NASA
The Mariner missions begun teaching us about Mars’ surface and atmosphere. The surface was discovered to have craters, volcanoes and valleys. The atmosphere was found to be both cold and thin, and composed mainly of carbon dioxide.
The first image ever taken from the surface of Mars came from NASA’s Viking 1 lander.
Mars surface from Viking 1. Image Credit: NASA/JPL
Today, we continue to learn more about present-day Mars and its history. Recent images give us vivid detail, as shown by an image taken from the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, currently on the surface.
Marias Pass from Curiosity. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
With current and future missions that will continue to enhance our knowledge about the martian world, what once was nothing more than a tinted speck in the night sky is not only observable now but closer to having humans explore it than ever before.
Learn more about NASA’s Journey to Mars at NASA.gov.