History of Mars Observations

Christian Huygens made the first observations of dark areas on the surface of Mars in 1659, and was also one of the first to detect the polar icecaps. Other astronomers who contributed to the study of Mars were G. Cassini (estimated in 1666 the rotation of the planet to be 24 hours and 40 minutes in 1666; concluded the existence of an atmosphere on the planet in 1672), W. Herschel (discovered the obliquity of the axis of rotation of Mars and observed Martian clouds) and J. Schroeter.

In 1837 German astronomers Beer and Madler published the first map of Mars, using data obtained from telescopic observations.

Mars was very close to Earth in 1877. Thus, this was a key year for studies of Mars. The American astronomer A. Hall discovered the satellites Phobos and Deimos, and the Italian astronomer G. Schiaparelli created a map of Mars that is still recognized today. He devised the names for Martian regions, such as Syrtis Major, Mare Tyrrhenum and Solis Lacus.

Schiaparelli named some of the fine lines that could be seen on Mars "canali." This word was translated into English as "canals", which led some people to believe that they were created artificially.

This stirred the imagination of many, especially astronomers C. Flammarion and P. Lowell, who speculated that there was life on Mars. Lowell was so excited about this idea that in 1894, he built his own observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, to study the Mars.

Lowell believed that not only did life exist on Mars, but that intelligent life was flourishing. Mars was drying up, and a wise and ancient Martian civilization had built canals to drain water from the polar caps and send to the thirsty cities.

Over time, the idea of the Martian canals dissipated, as many astronomers could not even see them. In fact, the canals were an optical illusion.

By 1950, almost nobody believed in Martian civilizations, but many were convinced that there was life on Mars in the form of primitive mosses and lichens. This belief was questioned when Mars was first visited by a spacecraft.