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The first telescopic observation of Mars was by Galileo Galilei in 1610. Within a century, astronomers discovered distinct albedo features on the planet, including the dark patch Syrtis Major Planum and polar ice caps. They were able to determine the planet's rotation period and axial tilt.
The first close-up images taken of Mars in 1965 from Mariner 4 show an area about 330 km across by 1200 km from limb to bottom of frame. In 1964, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory made two attempts at reaching Mars. Mariner 3 and Mariner 4 were identical spacecraft designed to carry out the first flybys of Mars. Mariner 3 was launched on ...
Since the late 20th century, Mars has been explored by uncrewed spacecraft and rovers, with the first flyby by the Mariner 4 probe in 1965, the first orbit by the Mars 2 probe in 1971, and the first landing by the Viking 1 probe in 1976. As of 2023, there are at least 11 active probes orbiting Mars or on the Martian surface.
The timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their natural satellites charts the progress of the discovery of new bodies over history. Each object is listed in chronological order of its discovery (multiple dates occur when the moments of imaging, observation, and publication differ), identified through its various designations (including temporary and permanent schemes), and the ...
Mars 2: 2 December 1971: First soft landing on Mars. First signals from Martian surface. First photograph from Martian surface. USSR Mars 3: 3 March 1972: First spacecraft on a trajectory out of the solar system. First spacecraft to use all-nuclear electrical power (SNAP-19 RTGs). USA (NASA) Pioneer 10 [33] 15 July 1972: First spacecraft to ...
This was the first planet to be discovered since antiquity, and Herschel became famous overnight. ... [72] [73] Herschel measured the axial tilt of Mars [86] and ...
While surveying the site of an ancient channel on Mars, the Curiosity rover ran over a rock and discovered pure sulfur on the red planet for the first time.
The first successful flyby of Mars was made by Mariner 4 in 1965. Mariner 10 first passed Mercury in 1974. The first probe to explore the outer planets was Pioneer 10, which flew by Jupiter in 1973. Pioneer 11 was the first to visit Saturn, in 1979.