The most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars yesterday today and tomorrow
through history archival images pop culture ephemera and interviews with NASA scientistsMars
has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its
blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until the 19th
century when canals were observed on the surface of the Red Planet suggesting the presence of
water that scientists novelists filmmakers and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the
question of whether there s life on Mars.Since then Mars has fully invaded pop culture
inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday) an iconic Looney Tunes character and many novels
and movies from Ray Bradbury s Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It s this cultural
familiarity with the fourth planet that continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration
from NASA s launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk s quest to launch a manned
mission to Mars through SpaceX by 2024. Perhaps one day we ll be able to answer the questions
our ancestors asked when they looked up at the night sky millennia ago.
