Page 68 - (DK) Eyewitness - Mars

Timeline

Wise men of ancient days observed the
heavens and gave meaning and names to
what they saw. They passed on their
knowledge to philosopher-scientists such as
Aristotle and Ptolemy. The works of these
men, in turn, were studied by Copernicus
and others who developed new ideas. Next,
telescopes brought the stars and planets
closer, and scientists searched Mars for signs
of life. Popular culture turned scientific theory
into stories of high adventure, inspiring young
people to become astronomers and learn more
about their universe, Solar System, and Mars. Science
fiction became reality in the 1960s, when an American
probe was the first spacecraft to visit the Red Planet. Mars seen by the Hubble
Space Telescope, which orbits Earth
2000 bc–300 bc ANCIENTS 1 DISCOVERING THE MOONS
Egyptians call the “wandering star” Har Hall observes two tiny moons orbiting
Décher, “The Red One.” Later peoples Mars. He names them Phobos and Deimos.
observe the planet the Romans come to
call Mars, after their god of war. 1877–1878 NAMES AND CANALS
Schiaparelli calls geometric patterns on
4TH–1ST CENTURIES bc Mars “canali” meaning “channels.” His
Aristotle studies Mars and considers description is misinterpreted as
the cosmos. Hipparchus charts meaning artificially made canals.
hundreds of stars and several He gives names to much of
planets. what he sees.
100–200 ad 1 0s POPULAR IDEA
GEOCENTRISM The belief that Mars is
Ptolemy teaches inhabited becomes the
geocentrism—that the conventional wisdom.
planets and Sun revolve
around Earth. 1 2 COMPILING
OBSERVATIONS
1500–1600 The Planet Mars by French
HELIOCENTRISM astronomer Camille
Copernicus breaks with Flammarion (1842–1925)
geocentrism, influencing later collects all observations from
astronomers to accept heliocentrism, Angelo Secchi 1600s to 1892.
a Sun-centered system.
1894–1895 CANALS AND Engraving from War of the Worlds
1600–1750 MEASURING MARS VEGETATION
Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei Lowell builds Arizona observatory and 1 0 NEW CANAL THEORY
(1564–1642) is first to observe Mars through publishes his theory that Mars has English scientist Alfred Wallace
a telescope. Huygens improves telescope canals, liquid water, and vegetation. (1823–1913) explains Martian
design, and believes there could be life on This is contradicted by Barnard canals as natural features.
Mars. Astronomers make ever-more precise shortly thereafter.
measurements of Mars. 1 12 BURROUGHS
1 MARTIAN ON MARS
1 2 THE MARTIAN MOONS BEINGS Mars adventure, “Under
In his satirical novel, Gulliver’s Travels, Swift H. G. Wells writes article, the Moons of Mars,”
describes Mars as having two moons. “Intelligence on Mars”; starts Burroughs writing
believes Martian life has Mars stories. With Wells
1 0s HERSCHEL STUDIES MARS developed parallel to life and Lowell, he influences
Herschel calculates inclination of Mars’s axis on Earth. future Mars fiction, radio
of rotation to be approximately 24 degrees; shows, and film.
suggests the planet could support life. 1 INTERPLANETARY
WARFARE 1938 TERROR IN A
1 5 SECCHI’S CANALE Martian landings on Earth are RADIO-PLAY
Italian astronomer Angelo Secchi (1818–1878) popular subjects for authors, and Radio drama of War of the Worlds
renames Huygens’s “Hourglass Sea” as Wells’s novel War of the Worlds, Percival Lowell causes panic in New Jersey.
“Atlantic Canale,” using the term canal or becomes hugely popular.
channel in relation to Mars for the first time.