This red planet has always attracted people's attention. The difference between planets and stars was discovered by the ancients
civilizations of the world - Sumerians and Babylonians. However, the term "planet" itself came to us from the ancient Greek language, where it literally meant a body wandering in the night sky.
Planets were very significant components in the cultures of ancient civilizations. So, in Egypt, astrology was born and was very popular - the prediction of fate by the movement of celestial bodies. In ancient Greece and Rome, the planets were identified with specific deities. Venus was associated with the goddess of love because of her whitish hue, so reminiscent of the color of delicate girlish skin. The red color of Mars could not but evoke allusions to destruction and fires. It is for this that he received the name of the god of war.
However, the planets were present not only in ancient cultures. They continue to appear in modern works of art. Of course, ideas about them have changed. If the Greeks and Romans associated the planets with the divine essence, then in modern times, when it becameit is obvious that these are the same celestial bodies as the Earth, they began to evoke other bizarre fantasies. And among all the planets of our system, perhaps, it is Mars that is the most frequent guest of cultural products. He is especially loved in the fantasy genre. The question of whether there was life on Mars has often become a source of inspiration for science fiction writers and filmmakers. So, the famous "War of the Worlds" by H. G. Wells depicts us with terrifying Martians destroying humanity. And Edgar Burroughs, in his "Princess of Mars", these creatures appear strong and fair, very similar in appearance and at the same time completely different from the earthling who got to them.
What does science say - was there life on Mars?
This question was first posed by scientists back in the middle of the 17th century, when they discovered that the red planet has similar dimensions to the Earth, snow caps at the poles, a similar degree of inclination of the rotation axis and a number of other similar parameters. Naturally, the question arose: was there life on Mars? Or maybe it still exists? However, observation through a telescope, no matter how perfect it may be, will not give a definite answer.
Disputes of scientists continued until the era of space flight. At the beginning of the 20th century, for example, the theory of the existence of blue vegetation on the planet was very popular, as indicated by long-term observations and indirect evidence. In the 1960s and 70s, during the era of the space race between the two superpowers, many aircraft were sent to the planet. Unfortunately, not all of these so-calledintelligence operations were successful. The first to safely land on the surface of the red planet was the Soviet spacecraft, which was called Mars-3 (the first two flights were unsuccessful), this happened in 1971. And in 1976, the American Viking reached the planet Mars. The search for life was not crowned with success even then. And the channels and craters turned out to be completely dry, although, according to American researchers, they could well have been filled with water in the distant past. Moreover, the natural conditions that were found on the planet clearly indicated that no life forms could survive and develop here. This greatly dampened the enthusiasm of researchers and scientists.
It wasn't until a couple of decades later that there was renewed interest in whether there was life on Mars. The United States launched the next spacecraft to the planet in 2008. And research probe "Phoenix" once again revived seemingly extinguished hopes. It has been proven that there is a lot of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the planet. But on Earth, it is a product secreted by plants. This fact again caused a heated debate about whether there was life on Mars. In addition, evidence of the existence of water there is still found today! Phoenix and Curiosity, the rovers of the last five years, are sent to the planet with the hope of discovering either microscopic life that can hide deep in the soil, or to discover facts that could shed light on the past of the red planet.
