Since the begining of Mars exploration, most notorious unmanned spacecrafts like the Viking, sent images of the surface of Mars or the planet itself full of marvelous technicolor red. Red skies, red rocks, red ground, red planet. WRONG! With the evolution of technology and our own public curiosity, it is hard not to look closely at the latest images of Mars from the Spirit and Oportunity rovers on the surface of Mars, and perceive a diferent image of the one which is being conveyed to the public.
The first color image taken from the surface of Mars (left), snapped by Viking Lander 1 in 1976, shows Earth-like colors and a blue sky. Several hours later, NASA released an updated version (right) that astounded the world with its orange skies and red soil. This vision of a red Mars has influenced nearly every NASA image since and has become entrenched in pop culture through movies such as Total Recall and Red Planet. Some imaging specialists suggest the original colors were closer to the truth. This part of Mars looks surprisingly similar to a rocky stretch of prairie land in Oklahoma. Despite their enormous differences, both planets have oxidized surfaces that have been shaped by wind and (on some parts of Mars, at least) flowing water.
So, which is the real one? What is the real color of Mars?
