Lush Oasis to Arid Desert: How Our View of Mars Has Changed

Ned McCann
9-30-15
Earth Science/ D-Odd McClellan

Geggel, By Laura. "Lush Oasis to Arid Desert: How Our View of Mars Has Changed." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 30 Sept. 2015. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. <http://www.livescience.com/52333-mars-alien-life-perception-changed.html>

      In the article, Lush Oasis to Arid Dessert: How Our View of Mars Has Changed, the author Laura

Geggel writes about the history of peoples view of Mars and how it has changes as technology

advances. This article is written due to the recent news that there has been salt water discovered on

Mars, strengthening the argument that there could be life on Mars. Geggel explains how the

observation of Mars first came from the ancient Greeks and Romans and how they thought that the

planet was half the size of Earth. Though in the 17th and 18th century people used nascent telescopes

to get a better view of Mars and came to realize it was indeed a planet that had a similar 24 hour day

to Earth. They also believed there were aliens living among the planet just like humans on Earth. In

specifics, she explains that Sir William Herschel assumed that the dark spots on Mars were oceans

and the light spots were land. The astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli speculated that alien life on

Mars had made canals in 1877. Many people agreed with his speculations and people went as far as

to write books about his observations. In the 1960's and 70's astronomers were finally able to

disprove the beliefs that there were canals on Mars. In the year 1971 Nasa sent out the Mariner 9

spacecraft which sent back pictures confirming the geography of Mars which was described from

Bruce Jakosky a professor of geological sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder as,

"including streambeds, river channels, and volcanoes" which is very much like Earth geological

features. Lately NASA has sent out robots to examine Mars and they have concluded that there is

water about a mile inside Mars and that there once was water in Mars millions of years ago but it has

disappeared. Geggel explains that the water found on Mars recently is extremely salty which makes

life harder to live but extremophiles can live in those circumstances.

      This article is important to society because it gives the science world new leads to whether there

is life on Mars. In the past few weeks this news has been all over the science world and is very

exciting. Even with all the missions and robots that have been on Mars there is still so much more to

learn and left to be discovered. Also this article teaches someone who may not know very much

about the history of Mars (like me) but has taught me so much.

      I thought this was an excellent article that was very well written and interesting. It was very

helpful that Laura Geggel included the history of the human view of Mars since ancient times to now.

It helps you to realize just how far technology and science have come and that there is still so much

more to be discovered. I also really enjoyed how Geggel included quotes from a chief scientist from

NASA and professor Bruce Jakosky and their take on the recent news. Overall this was a very

enjoyable article and I am excited to learn more about Mars in the future.