WHAT
DO
YOU
SEE
??????
MARS: A HISTORY
A look back at Our
fascination with The Red
Planet.
The Romanticism of Mars
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Mars has captured the imagination of people world
wide for centuries. Subject of:
Fear
Wonder
Humor
Entertainment
Myth
Mystery
continues to do so today.
Let’s look at the many ways how Mars has
captivated society over time.
ANTIQUITY: MYTHOLOGY AND
RELIGION
Early Romans:, God of spring, growth in
nature, fertility, and the protector of cattle.
“Earth god.”
As an “earth god” he became the god of
death, then god of war. Also the son of
Jupiter and the father to Romulus and
Remus the legendary founders of Rome.
The Roman armies trained in the many
sanctuaries built in tribute to Mars.
The Empire & western world:
Ritual purification and cleansing ceremonies
in his honor.
The month of March
ANTIQUITY:
MYTHOLOGY AND
RELIGION
Ancient Hindu:
Mangala; associated with
the god of war, Karittkeya.
Depicted with six heads and
Twelve arms,
riding a peacock (destroyer of
Harmful habits) gripping a
serpent (man’s ego and desires)
ANTIQUITY:
MYTHOLOGY AND
RELIGION
Additional civilizations which have associated Mars with
warfare include:
Ancient China: ”The Fire Star”
Ancient Babylonia: The war god Negral
Ancient Egypt 28th Dynasty – New Kingdom: Her Desher
meaning, “The Red One.” and “Horus of the Horizon.”
The mythic theme of the warrior hero still exists today,
particularly in the arts.
ANTIQUITY: What did its
backward motions all mean???
Retrograde Motion: The apparent backward motion of an object
across the sky.
http://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/nightsky/retrograde
Retrograde motion mystified the ancients. Traditional astronomy
of the times made a few basic incorrect assumptions:
 Objects moved in circles: Idea of perfection, objects moved at
steady rates.
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Geocentric system: Easier, philosophical and religious reasons.
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Parallax: The apparent shifting of nearby objects with respect
to distant ones as the position of the observer changes.
Important in astronomy for measuring distance. No stellar
parallax with a geocentric system.
SYMBOLISM
Ancient symbol of shield and spear.
The red color associated with
bloodshed/war/fire/destruction.
Denotes gender in Biology and Botany.
Associated with the chemical element
Iron.
Used in hardware for “male”
fasteners or connections.
Used by Volvo.
Masculinity
In the pseudoscience of Astrology with
Mars representing energy, action, and
desire.
EARLY OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
There have been countless
scientific observations of Mars
and their subsequent discoveries,
many of which have drawn more
attention and intrigue than others,
especially with respect to the
possibility of life on Mars.
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EARLY OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
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Several early observation led to conclusions of the possibility of
life existing on Mars on the basis of similarity to conditions on
Earth:
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1659 – Christiaan Huygens observes dark regions on Mars that
moved each night, concluding that mars rotates on an axis; also
believing it might be inhabited.
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1669- Giovanni Cassini observes that the rotational rate is 24 hrs, 40
minutes. And that Mars has polar regions.
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1698- Huygens publishes his book:
Cosmotheoros about whether or
not there is life on Mars.
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1719- Cassini’s nephew Giacomo Filippo Maraldi observes the dark
regions change shape over time; concluding that Mars has clouds
that obscure the surface, changes in polar caps showed evidence of
seasons,
EARLY OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
1783- William Herschel confirms the change of seasons by
realizing the inclination angle of Mars is similar to Earth.
Dark areas referred to by Herschel as “seas,” and he was
not the first to speculate they may be actual bodies of water.
1860- Emmanuel Liasis speculated that the dark regions
were the changing of vegetation.
1877- Giovanni Schiaparelli makes a map of features he
labels as canali (Italian for groove or naturally occurring
channel)
EARLY OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
Herschel's figures . Image: University of California Irvine
EARLY OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
William Herschel addresses the British Royal
Society about Mars:
“It appears that this planet is not without considerable
atmosphere; for besides the permanent spots on the
surface, I have often noticed occasional changes of
partial bright belts; and also once a darkish one... These
alterations we can hardly ascribe to any other cause
than the variable disposition of clouds and vapors
floating in the atmosphere of the planet... Mars has a
considerable but modest atmosphere, so that its
inhabitants probably enjoy a situation in many respects
similar to our own.”
EARLY OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
When Schiaparelli’s map
and observations were
translated into English, his
“canali” became “canals;”
a man made features
which led to speculation
that these Martian canals
were built by
extraterrestrials.
EARLY OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
Theory: Canals = advanced civilization!
Idea popularized in literature by many like French writer
Camille Flammarion who wrote many books about life on
other planets.
MARS FEVER EMERGES: LOWELL
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1894 - Percival
Lowell, a wealthy
American
astronomer
establishes Lowell
Observatory in
Flagstaff Arizona; in
time to observe the
1894 opposition of
Mars using 12” and
18” refractors.
MARS FEVER EMERGES: LOWELL
Many observations
Published books
created maps
All detailed and labeled the
So-called canal system
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Convinced that the canals
were designed by
intelligent beings to carry
water from the polar
regions throughout their
dying desert world
MARS FEVER EMERGES
Even though Lowell Observatory’s C.O.
Lampland photograph of Mars’ 38
“canals” is well received by the British
Royal Photographic Society, Lowell’s
interpretation of the Martian surface
lacks one crucial thing…
MARS FEVER EMERGES
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Proof! By 1950, Even
Lowell
Observatory
member Clyde
Tombaugh
proposes a
different theory;
that the canals are
really fractures
from meteor
impacts
MARS FEVER EMERGES
Despite the doubts by many
astronomers , the wheels were
already set in motion. The popular
imagination, hope and allure of
intelligent life on Mars continued
well into the 1960’s; propagated by
many forms of media throughout
the next several decades.
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1897-War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells
Originally meant as a
critical satire on British
imperialism.
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1940’s to 1950-The
Martian Chronicles by
Ray Bradbury.
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Futuristic version of 1999 as
humans participate in
colonization efforts on Mars
whilst they contribute to the
displacement of the entire
culture of its inhabitants.
1963-Podkayne of Mars by
Robert Heinlein
One of his juvenile novels
highlighting the life of a teen;
her ambitions and points of
view as one who is raised on
Mars.
1993-1996 - The Mars
Trilogy by
Kim Stanley Robinson
An ambitious trilogy
chronicling mankind’s
efforts of colonization,
terraforming, and their
results on the planet
Mars.
Well’s adaptation of
the H.G Wells novel
War of the Worlds
was a radio
broadcast play
which is said to have
panicked many
thousands of people
across the country;
believing that an
unstoppable Martian
invasion was taking
place!
Modernized as a breakingnews bulletin.
1938
1951
1953
1952
1964
MY FAVORITE
MARTIAN
1963-1966
1964
1967
2000
1996
2012
2000
TO MARS! INVESTIGATION UP CLOSE
NASA Mariner
missions 4 and 9
(1965, 1971)
First close up aerial
views of the
Martian surface.
Evidence of craters,
volcanoes, vast
desert landscape.
No signs of oceans,
cities, forests – no
obvious, tell-tale
signs of life or
civilization
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Mariner 4 “Mariner Crater”
at Phaethontis Quadrangle
TO MARS! INVESTIGATION UP CLOSE
Viking landers 1976
First successful landing
and testing of the
Martian surface
No organic compounds
or microscopic life
detected.
For all intents and
purposes, Mars was
declared dead.
NASA’S NEW STRATEGY: “FOLLOW THE WATER”
Life as we know it
requires three basic
elements:
1. liquid water
2. An energy source
(the Sun ,volcanic
activity,
geothermal,
gravitational)
3. Organic material –
carbon based
molecules / building
blocks of life
NASA’S NEW STRATEGY: “FOLLOW THE WATER”
NASA focuses on water evidence: Dried lake beds, polar ice, ancient river
and stream channels and sediment deposits.
Plans to launch a new series of orbital probes, and Landers pursue a bold
new strategy to once again determine if life once existed, and if it still
could.
“FOLLOW THE WATER”: ORBITAL PROBES
Temperature
Topography
Spectroscopy
Photographs
All determine the
best candidates for
future landing sites
for the next
generation of
rovers
Orbital Probe Detection of:
 Hydrogen beneath surface
 Trace amounts of methane
in the thin atmosphere
 Dark streaks on slopes that
disappeared – possible
evaporation of subsurface
liquid water
“FOLLOW THE WATER”: ORBITAL PROBES
1992 – Mars Observer (Failed)
1997 – Mars Global Surveyor
1999 – Mars Climate Orbiter (Failed)
Mars Polar Lander (Failed)
Deep Space II (Failed)
2001 - Mars Odyssey (Current orbit)
Mars Express (Current orbit)
2006 - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (Current orbit)
2013- Mars Orbiter Mission (En Route)
2014- MAVEN (Arrived late last year)
“FOLLOW THE WATER”: SURFACE ROVERS
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Spirit and
Opportunity (2004)
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Spirit detects large
amounts of Silica;
created by high
temperature and
water.
Opportunity detects
spheres of Hematite
Both prove that liquid
water existed.
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“FOLLOW THE WATER”: SURFACE ROVERS
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Phoenix Mars
Lander (2008)
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North Polar region
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Confirms that the
polar cap is indeed
water ice.
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Arctic surface as
seen by Phoenix
“FOLLOW THE WATER”: SURFACE ROVERS
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Curiosity (2012)
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Primary mission to
determine if life had
existed on Mars.
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Seeking the third
element necessary to
sustain life: organic
compounds.
Or is this
all just
wishful
thinking
????????
ACK! ACK!
The End??????
www.pantheon.org
www.windows2universe.org
www.trivia-library.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.cafeastrology.com
www.khanacademy.com
www.umich.edu/-lowbrows/
Snyder, Dave: Reflections – History of Mars April, May 2001.
www.peacocksgarden.blogspot.com
www.mythindex.com
www.astrodigital.org/mars/timeline
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/books/our-favorite-martians-thered-planet-a-pop-culture-history/#/24
www.cosmicelk.net/mars.html
http://www.anb.org/articles/13/13-01024.html