The search for water on Mars: Figure 1a (left-hand side) ‘The Blue Marble’, taken by the crew of the Apollo 17 mission. Figure 1b (right-hand side) A composite image of Mars created using images taken by the Viking orbiters. The planets are not the same size in reality: the Earth is 12742 km diameter, whereas Mars is only 6779 km in diameter. Image credit for both: NASA

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The search for water on Mars

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This figure has two parts. On the left hand side is a photograph of the Earth surrounded by the black background of space. The whole globe is shown, which has a pattern of blue water, and green and brown continents. Clouds form white streaks and swirls obscuring details of the continent and water bodies in view. On the right hand side is a photograph of Mars. It also shows the full globe of the planet, coloured bright orange and brown, surrounded by the black background of space. Across the middle of the globe runs a dark brown feature, which looks like a scar but is a deep valley.

Figure 1a (left-hand side) ‘The Blue Marble’, taken by the crew of the Apollo 17 mission. Figure 1b (right-hand side) A composite image of Mars created using images taken by the Viking orbiters. The planets are not the same size in reality: the Earth is 12742 km diameter, whereas Mars is only 6779 km in diameter. Image credit for both: NASA

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