Science Fiction Martian

Your drawings are good speculation. Modern scientists are working on very similar concepts in the quest for life on other worlds! Meanwhile, in classic science fiction stories and films Martians will always be with us.

VISUAL 33 (still): Paul’s Martian

[Fade off Paul’s Martian.]

What do you think of this drawing made by an early exobiologist in 1939?

This is what a science-fiction artist, Frank Paul, working with astronomers, imagined Martians might look like.

What features does this being have to help him survive on Mars?

 [Large ears and lungs for the thin atmosphere; tall and slender legs due to light gravity; fur and retractable nose and eyes for cold temperatures.]

Are there really Martians who would build canals and farm the desert planet? Given what we have learned from Mars exploration missions, does it seem likely that Martians like this exist now on the Red Planet? 

We have found no evidence of their existence. But could life have flourished on Mars in ages far more ancient? Could some lifeforms have adapted gradually to the harsher environment of present-day Mars? We hope clues to solve these mysteries await us in our future explorations of the Red Planet.