All about Mars

This course is part of a series of classes about our solar system and how it teaches us about the past, present, and future of planet Earth. The course begins with a review of the history of Mars exploration, then segues into discussion of the issues around its future, namely sending human explorers to Mars. A third week discusses what it’s like to be part of a NASA mission like the Curiosity rover. Then we shift gears to cover Mars volcanos, craters, surface processes, and past environments on the planet as revealed by rover exploration over the past two decades.

Readings: Optional readings to be posted on the course website.

Darby Dyar is an emeritus professor of Astronomy at Mount Holyoke College and is now employed by NASA to work on meteorites, lunar samples, and a mission to Venus.