Mars has undergone a remarkable evolution since the first probe from Earth went sailing past the planet, sending back a few shots. Given what we saw, Mars was declared a dead planet, somewhat like our Moon, not really worthy of our attention.
Things changed. With later Mariner probes, evidence was discovered of a more dynamic Mars, a Mars with volcanoes and what appeared to be river valleys.
The face of Mars continues to change. Eight years of operations by the Mars Global Surveyor and the ongoing operations of the Mars Odyssey and Mars Express orbiters have uncovered climate changes, fresh craters, erosion and more.
Here are two new bits of news that show the changing face of Mars. In the first, Brown University Professor James Head talks about signs that Mars has enough of a climate shift to allow ice to leave the polar cap areas and accumulate at lower latitudes. In the second, evidence has been discovered that suggests that Mars once underwent plate tectonics, a process that, up to very recently, it was assumed that Mars did not do!
Ongoing operations of Spirit and Opportunity, the approach of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Phoenix Lander, the Mars Science Laboratory: I can't wait to see how much more the face of Mars will change!
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Roving on Mars
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Related
The Changing Face of Mars (Sep 20, 2005)
The Changing South Polar Cap of Mars: 1999-2005 (Jul 13, 2005)
Another Mars Face (Jan 26, 2005)
The New "Face" of Mars (Nov 5, 2006)