15 July 2008

Doodle - Space


On This Day In History, July 15, 1965
Mariner 4 studies Martian surface

The unmanned spacecraft Mariner 4 passes over Mars at an altitude of 6,000 feet and sends back to Earth the first close-up images of the red planet. Launched in November 1964, Mariner 4 carried a television camera and six other science instruments to study Mars and interplanetary space within the solar system. Reaching Mars on July 14, 1965, the spacecraft began sending back television images of the planet just after midnight on July 15. The pictures--nearly 22 in all--revealed a vast, barren wasteland of craters and rust-colored sand, dismissing 19th-century suspicions that an advanced civilization might exist on the planet. The canals that American astronomer Percival Lowell spied with his telescope in 1890 proved to be an optical illusion, but ancient natural waterways of some kind did seem to be evident in some regions of the planet.

Once past Mars, Mariner 4 journeyed on to the far side of the sun before returning to the vicinity of Earth in 1967. Nearly out of power by then, communication with the spacecraft was terminated in December 1967.




9 comments:

crpitt said...

I knew you where going to come up with some cracking posts :)

Did you give Chris a list of what he had to doodle?

Sarge Charlie said...

holy crap, you are good at this stuff

maryt/theteach said...

Yes, Jamie, I want to know if your son can draw my doodles and send them to me...just joking, just joking!

mister jeter harris, hizself said...

wow ... impressiv doodlin.
iz dis don by a profeshunal doodler?
jus wunderin.
jh

Anonymous said...

I love to read about space...I want to go into space...

Durward Discussion said...

I gave Chris the seven words. People who have access to the flickr doodle week group can see all seven of the drawings he did. The rest will have to wait for the daily blogs.

Linda said...

What a great way to incorporate a doodle with some history - very nicely done!

Maggie Moo said...

Doodle Chris is having quite the week so far! :) Great post.

Travis Cody said...

Great doodle! And even better with the space knowledge. Can you imagine what we're likely to see from the Phoenix Lander?