Mars last night, from my backyard, a few days after the 2020 opposition.
At ~40 million miles, the south polar ice cap is a tiny white speck. It is mostly made of frozen carbon dioxide which makes up 95% of Martian atmosphere.
The faint ring, top right, is Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in our solar system. Standing 2.5 times taller than Mount Everest it all but touches the edge of Martian atmosphere. If you climbed to the top - you would be close to space!
At this moment, US, Russian and Indian satellites and rovers are active surveying the planet. The latest NASA rover Perseverance with the first helicopter /drone is on its way to land in Feb 2021 which will greatly increase the pace of discovery.
All this to prepare for the first manned mission planned to happen by 2030. This little red dot, the subject of much of our history and mythology across cultures and ages, may become our first step to becoming a multi planet species.
