Second only in brightness to Venus, Mars played a prominent role in the night skies of ancient people across the world. It made its way into their astronomy, their religion, their lives. Today, though the religious aspect has mostly disappeared, Mars still draws attention. It's a common target for many astronomers, amateur and professional.
Some scientists believe that it's possible that primitive currently exists or did exist on Mars.
In the near future, Mars will serve as the next step in our manned exploration of space. Mars is the first planet beyond the Earth. It's only about one quarter the diameter of Earth and one tenth Earth's mass. At its closest pass to Earth it is brighter than all other objects in the sky other than the Sun, the Moon, and Venus. A Martian year is equal to 779.9 Earth days and its day is about 37 minutes longer than Earth's.