Exploring Mars

The red planet

Mars is now known as the ‘red planet’, but the planet originally got its name from the ancient Romans, who named Mars after their god of war because its colour reminded them of blood.

In addition to the Romans, many ancient cultures had their own names for Mars. The Babylonians called it Nergal, after their god of war and fire. The Egyptians knew it as Horus the Red, and in China and Japan it was called the Fire Star. In Sanskrit it takes the name Angaraka, another war god. The Hebrew name was Ma’adim – the one who blushes or reddens – which gives its name to Ma’adim Vallis, a 435-mile-long ancient valley on Mars.

Marble relief fragment with the head of Mars, early 3rd century CE. Photo: The Met

Mars Exploration

Humans haven’t been to Mars yet, but space agencies like NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are working on it. Robotic missions are paving the way for human exploration by gathering data and testing the technologies that will make human spaceflight missions possible.

Artist concept of NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter during the critical process of Mars orbit insertion. Credits: NASA/JPL

Is there life on Mars?

There is evidence to suggest that billions of years ago, Mars had a very different climate, with seas and lakes, and maybe even an ocean covering nearly a third of the planet’s surface. In 2018, a European spacecraft, ‘Mars Express’, found a huge lake of liquid water at the planet’s south pole. This means Mars has the ingredients needed for life.

Liquid or gas flowed through cracks penetrating underground rock on ancient Mars, according to a report based on some of the first observations by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

A Tough Place to Live

Mars is both a desert and very cold, with an average temperature of -60°C. The air on Mars is 100 times thinner than Earth’s, and there’s no ozone layer or magnetic field to protect the planet’s surface from harmful radiation.  Perhaps it’s not surprising we haven’t found life on Mars yet.

Image taken of the Harmakhis Vallis taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Why do we call Mars 'the red planet'?

Mars is dry, dusty and covered with reddish dirt that contains iron oxide, the same stuff that makes rust and blood the colour red.

Digital mosaic of Olympus Mons. Credits: NASA/JLP

'Eyes on Mars' Panel Talk

Discover the influence of science in mythology and sci-fi, to the challenges and possibilities of establishing human settlements in space, with a one-off event featuring artist Luke Jerram and London’s leading Mars experts.

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