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300
300 BC -Aristotole
Aristotole notes that mars is further away from the earth than the moon -
Jan 1, 1580
Tycho Brahe Plots Mars Position in the Sky
Made before telescopes, makes a very detailed measurement of Mars in the night sky -
Galileo and Mars
Galileo uses his telescope to observe Mars -
Galileo Notes Phases on Mars
Galileo notes in a letter that he notes the phases of Mars and that it is not perfectly round -
Kepler Publishes his 3rd Law of Planetary Motion
Johannes Kelper uses data for the orbit of Mars to discover that "the square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube of the body's mean distance from the Sun" -
Fontana Makes First Know Drawing of Mars
Francisco Fontana makes the first known drawing of Mars noting that "The disk of Mars is not uniform in color" -
Gian Cassini observes Mars
Cassini observes that Mars has a polar ice cap and notes that the length of a Martian day is 24 hours 40 minutes -
Soviets the first to attempt to launch a probe to mars
The first spacecraft designed to explore Mars. Marsnik 1 failed and 2 weeks later Marsnik 2 also failed. -
Mariner Program
Mariner 4 was launched in November, survived the 8 month journey to Mars, and it took the first ever close up pictures of Mars and measured the daytime temperature -
US success
The US accomplishes in placing two landers on the surface of Mars -
Japan enters Mars exploration race
Nozomi probe doesn't reach Mars' orbit -
European Space Agency launches Mars Express
The first mission by the ESA to another planet.Has provided high-resolution images of Mars, and it continues its orbit. -
More exploration for the US
The US place Spirit and Opportunity on opposite sides of Mars and begin exploration of the Martian surface -
Phoenix Mars Lander
Studied northern polar climate and weather until it was destroyed by cold winter
Landed May 25 2008 -
Curiosity Landing
The most recent Mars rover.
