A Bomb From Space : Red Planet Mystery

The history of Mars is primarily a story of scientific exploration, observation, and speculation. Here is a brief overview of key events in the history of Mars:

Ancient Observations:

Mars has been visible to the naked eye since ancient times, and it was observed by various civilizations. The red color of Mars led to its identification with the god of war in Roman mythology.
Telescopic Observations:

In the 17th century, with the invention of the telescope, astronomers like Johannes Kepler and Christiaan Huygens made early observations of Mars. In the 19th century, better telescopes allowed astronomers like Giovanni Schiaparelli to map Martian features, including what he called "canali" (meaning channels), which were later misinterpreted as "canals."
Spacecraft Exploration:

The space age brought about a new era in Martian exploration. The first successful flyby of Mars was achieved by Mariner 4 in 1965, providing the first close-up images of the planet's surface.
Mars Rovers:

The exploration of Mars continued with a series of successful rovers. The Mars Pathfinder mission, including the Sojourner rover, landed on Mars in 1997. Subsequent missions like Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance have provided valuable data about the Martian surface, geology, and climate.
Search for Life:

One of the key objectives of Mars exploration is the search for past or present life. The Viking missions in the 1970s conducted experiments to detect life, but the results were inconclusive. More recent missions, like the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity), have been studying the Martian environment to understand its habitability.