November 3, 2011
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmMapping Mars: Where Have All the Landers Gone? [Interactive]
The first man-made object to land on Mars arrived 40 years ago this month, and NASA's Curiosity rover should soon depart for the Red Planet. Here is a look at where humankind's many Mars landers have touched down, and where the planet betrays a history of all-important liquid water. Find out more in Exploring the Red Planet
By John Matson
Interactive by Krista Fuentes
Base map: NASA/MOLA Science Team
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Sources: "Martian gullies in the southern mid-latitudes of Mars: Evidence for climate-controlled formation of young fluvial features based upon local and global topography," by James L. Dickson et al., in Icarus, Vol. 188, pages 315–323, 2007 (gully clusters); "Updated Global Map of Martian Valley Networks: Implications for Hydrologic Processes," by B. M. Hynek et al., in Second Workshop on Mars Valley Networks, 2008 (valley networks); "Ice, Salt and Warm-Season Flows on Mars," a NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/UA/LANL/MSSS map, 2011 (seasonal markings); "Radar Sounding Evidence for Buried Glaciers in the Southern Mid-Latitudes of Mars," by John W. Holt et al., in Science, Vol. 322, Nov. 21, 2008 (buried glacier).
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
