Mars is still a subject of scientific study and a source of inspiration for upcoming space missions as our understanding of the planet grows. Our knowledge of planetary formfruit slots onlineation, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and the viability of human colonization of other planets has been expanded by the continuous study and missions to Mars. Historical Notes. In their observations of Mars, early astronomers from Egypt, Greece, and Rome attributed the planet's characteristic red color to a variety of gods and myths.