Picture of the day - August 30, 2005

"Close View" Of The Planet Mars

The planet Mars has fascinated man ever since the first telescope was used to peer deep into the heavens. Mars is very similar and close to earth (in terms of space distances). It also has a thin atmosphere containing many of the same gases that are contained in our own. These facts have long led to speculation that Mars just might have life on it. While hopes of finding humanoid creatures and/or small animal life on the Red Planet were dashed by the findings of several exploratory spacecraft, there is still a very real possibility that microscopic organisms will be found in the Martian soil. Only time will tell as more thorough excavation and testing is done. Another longtime dream of us earthlings is manned space flight to Mars, and after years of debate and research it appears that it just might happen within a decade or two. We're living in exciting times as far as space travel and exploration are concerned! Today's picture is an amazingly clear image of the planet Mars taken by the Hubble Space Telescope - the "closest" photo ever taken of the Red Planet from the vicinity of the earth.   Picture Of The Day Homepage | Submit a photo Interesting Articles