This red planet has always attracted people's attention. The distinction of planets from stars was discovered by the most ancient
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 - a prediction of fate by the movement of celestial bodies. In ancient Greece and Rome, planets were identified with specific deities. Venus was associated with the goddess of love because of her whitish shade, so reminiscent of the color of delicate girlish skin. The red color of Mars could not but cause allusions with destruction and fires. It was 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 contemporary works of art. Of course, ideas about them have changed. If the Greeks and Romans connected the planets with the divine essence, then in the New Age, when it became clear that they were the same celestial bodies as the Earth, they began to conjure other bizarre fantasies. And among all the planets of our system, perhaps Mars is the most frequent guest of cultural products. He is especially loved in the science fiction genre. The question of whether life was on Mars often became a source of inspiration for science fiction writers and filmmakers. So, the famous “War of the Worlds” by Herbert Wells draws us terrifying Martians, destroying humanity. And with 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 came to them.
And 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 dimensions similar to Earth, snow caps at the poles, a similar degree of inclination of the axis of rotation, and a number of other similar parameters. Naturally, the question arose: was there life on Mars? Or maybe it exists now? However, observation through a telescope, no matter how perfect it may be, will not give a definite answer.
The debate of scientists continued until the era of space travel. 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 of the two superpowers, many aircraft were sent to the planet . Unfortunately, not all of these so-called intelligence operations have been successful. The first to safely descend to the surface of the red planet was the Soviet spacecraft, which was called "Mars-3" (the first two flights were unsuccessful), it happened in 1971. And in 1976, the American Viking reached the planet Mars. The search for life was unsuccessful even then. And the canals and craters were 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 discovered on the planet unequivocally testified to the fact that no life forms could survive and develop here. This greatly cooled the enthusiasm of researchers and scientists.
And only a couple of decades later did interest again arise in the question of whether life was on Mars. The United States launched the next device to the planet in 2008. And the research of the Phoenix probe again revived seemingly quenched hopes. It has been proven that a lot of carbon dioxide is present in the planet’s atmosphere. But on Earth, it is a product secreted by plants. This fact again caused heated debate about whether life was on Mars. In addition, evidence of the existence of water there has nevertheless been found today! Phoenix and Curiosity - the rovers of the last five-year period - were sent to the planet with the hope of discovering either microscopic life that can hide deep in the ground, or to discover facts that could shed light on the past of the red planet.