No other planet has mystified humans more than Mars. Earthlings have not set foot on it yet but stories about it have been told, published, and even inspired movies. It was named after the Roman god of war ‘Ares’, probably years after it was first sighted by a human eye. Who did and when it happened are questions that will not get any answer since it was seen before recorded history. It was first seen during ancient times and the person who should receive credit is unknown. It is Earth’s next-door neighbor, so it can be seen in a cloudless sky even without the use of a telescope. Prehistoric people may have regarded it as an omen or a god that affects their crops harvest or the coming of rain. They saw it but have not really considered that it is almost similar to the planet they were standing on, but just million miles away. They did not know how it will tickle the modern human fancy later on.

The Babylonians of Egypt could have first sighted the planet. Possibly because of its fierce red color, mainly caused by the abundance of iron oxide on its surface, it was called ‘Nergal’ which means ‘The Star of Death’. Mars was also associated to the Babylonian deity Marduk, who was a great ancient warrior. The Egyptians have called it different names, including ‘Her Deschel’ which means ‘The Red One’.

During modern times, Mars position was amazingly assumed by calculations made by Tycho Brahe. He is a Danish astronomer and alchemist known for his precise and elaborate astronomical observations. In 1576, he accurately calculated the position of Mars. Surprisingly, he did it without the use of a telescope. The result of his study was used afterwards by Johannes Kepler, the German astronomer and mathematician who designed the Law of Planetary Motion. By studying the axis and motion of Mars, he learned that Mars orbit around the Sun in an elliptical path, which is contrary to what they knew beforehand (that each planet’s orbit is a circle). The new idea brought by Kepler, lead to the discovery that all planetary orbits are elliptical.. In 1609, Galileo Galilei used the telescope for the first time to observe Mars. Its history continued. Canals, canyons and other formations that can also be seen on Earth were found to be present in Mars. Ice was discovered on its poles, and it meant water may also be flowing somewhere in the planet. Further on, life is thought to exist or have existed in the planet.

In a nutshell, Mars was not discovered. It was a regular visitor of the wide sky, bright and red as it is. Thus, anyone from primitive times could have seen it. Who knows, the first people on Earth could have. It could have frightened ancient people because of its color. It may have signaled the coming of war as an omen to an old tribe. It surely has puzzled sky gazers until science explained what it really is.

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