For decades, humans have wanted to see more of the planet we call Mars, the red planet. There have been many successful attempts to get a glimpse of the interesting planet, and scientists are still working on a better way to get there. The first rover to explore Mars was "Mariner 4", which arrived on November 28, 1964. It was a spacecraft intended to orbit the planet Mars, but not to land. It lasted about 8 months and could not survive much longer due to conditions on and around Mars. Rovers have already captured images and samples, but this may not be enough to give us a complete picture of what is really happening on this diverse planet. What is the planet Mars really like? Is it possible to find out using simple technology? Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and has received many names throughout history due to its features and characteristics. Mars was known for its red color due to the iron-rich minerals within it, developing a red surface as we know it today. The ancient Romans and Greeks named the planet after their god of war, due to the red surface, which symbolizes blood. However, the Egyptians called it "the red one" and the Chinese called it "the fire star". Mars was first discovered around 400 BC by the Babylonians and they called it "the death star". At the time, Mars was visible to the naked eye, seen simply as a red "dot" in the sky, and some thought it was perhaps a moving star. Mars has very interesting geology that can tell a lot about the planet. The red planet has a variety of surface features that provide much information about its history. Some of the signs of impact on the planet are meteor craters, rough surface, impact basins, polar ice caps...... middle of paper......ml>."Why Mars?" Why Mars: Make Mars relevant. Np, nd Web. 14 December 2013.."Syrtis Major (surface feature, Mars)." Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica, nd Web. December 15, 2013.."The "Canals" of Mars: How Giovanni Schiaparelli Saw Tharsis." The "canals" of Mars: how Giovanni Schiaparelli saw Tharsis. Np, nd Web. December 16, 2013.."Percival Lowell (American astronomer)." Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica, nd Web. 16 December 2013..Robotic arm. Nd Photography. Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Network. December 16. 2013..