Chapter 1
Red planet in ancient myths
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Chapter 2
Telescopes and the canal craze
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Chapter 3
The scientific reality of Mars
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Chapter 4
Robotic scouts on the red sands
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Chapter 5
Mars in our imagination
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The story of Mars
Ch 2 · Telescopes and the canal craze
schopenhauer Martian canal craze
Lost in translation / Tracing the lines / Dreaming of Martians!
schopenhauer Scientific advances eventually proved the famous Martian canals were just tricks of the eye.
Fun Fact
Martian canals: The canals of Mars were actually optical illusions caused by early telescope lenses and the human brain's tendency to connect faint, dark spots.
schopenhauer An American businessman built a world-class observatory to search for intelligent Martians.
Glossary
canal (noun)
An artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of boats or to convey water. In 1877, Giovanni Schiaparelli observed linear markings on Mars, which many mistook for artificial waterways.
An artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of boats or to convey water. In 1877, Giovanni Schiaparelli observed linear markings on Mars, which many mistook for artificial waterways.
Quiz
Which British scientist and co-discoverer of natural selection wrote a book in 1907 debunking Lowell's Martian canal theories?
schopenhauer Align the telescope lenses to discover how optical illusions sparked the myth of Martian canals.
Quiz
Which wealthy American built an observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, to study Martian canals?
Quiz
Which NASA spacecraft flew past Mars in July 1965, sending back the first close-up photos of its surface?
Quiz
How was the Italian word 'canali' mistranslated into English, fueling rumors of Martian engineering?
Quiz
What did psychologists prove was the main cause of astronomers 'seeing' straight canals on Mars?
Quiz
Which Italian astronomer famously mapped dark lines on Mars in 1877 and called them 'canali'?
Quiz
What did the first close-up photos of Mars from Mariner 4 reveal the surface looked like?
Quiz
In what year did Percival Lowell establish his famous observatory to map Mars?