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1576
First Recorded Calculations of Mars' Distance
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Polar Caps
Mars' polar caps are a combination of water ice and carbon dioxide ice. As the Martian seasons change, the carbon dioxide ice vaporizes in summer, revealing the surface, and freezes again in winter. Discovered by Giacomo Miraldi. -
Period: to
1800s
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Honore Flaugergues Finds Yellow Clouds on Mars
Honore Flaugergues, a French amateur astronomer, notices "yellow clouds" on the surface of Mars, which were later found to be dust clouds. -
Martian Spring
Flaugergues notices that the polar ice cap melts significantly in the Martian spring. He concludes that this implies that Mars is hotter than Earth. -
Mars has Green Seas and Red Land
William Whewell concludes that Mars has green seas and red land, and wonders if there is extraterrestrial life. -
Syrtis Major is Named
Angelo Secci (1818 - 1878), a Jesuit monk, draws Mars and calls Syrtis Major the "Atlantic Canal". -
Richard Anthony Proctor Publishes Map of Mars
Richard Anthony Proctor publishes a map of Mars with continents and oceans. His choice of zero meridian is still the currently accepted convention. -
Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli announces that he has seen "canali" on Mars
If translated correctly, this announcement would have been interpreted as "channels", but with the excitement building over the Suez Canal, it was translated as "canals", and thus began a detour in the history of Mars exploration. -
Discovery of Mars Moon
Asaph Hall discovers the moons of Mars. He names them Phobos (fear) and Deimos (fright), after the horses of the Greek war god, Ares (counterpart to the Roman war god, Mars) -
Mars Publishing
Percival Lowell publishes Mars -
Navigation Camera Captures Images of Mars Surface
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Rover Sends back Images
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Mars Dust Storm Drastically Changes Surface
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Vera Rubin Ridge
This and other Mastcam panoramas show details of the sedimentary rocks that make up the "Vera Rubin Ridge." The Mastcam images show that the rocks making up the lower part of the ridge are characterized by distinct horizontal stratification with individual rock layers of the order of several inches (tens of centimeters) thick. -
Curiosity Landing
Curiosity Space Rover lands on the surface of Mars. -
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Wdowiak Ridge
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity uses panoramic photography to show Wdowiak Ridge. -
Pancam on Perseverance Valley
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Perseverance Valley
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Patch of Rocky Martian ground on the floor of "Perseverance Valley"
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Mars Rover Opportunity Pictures Shadows
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Recurrent Slope Lineae
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Vera Rubin Ridge
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Martian Moon Orbit
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Vera Rubin Ridge Erosion
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Vera Rubin Ridge Layers
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Above the Perseverance Valley
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Ireson Hill
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NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows blocks of layered terrain
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Mars Insight Rover Launch
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2020 Rover Investigating Rocks on Mars??
