In the fall of 1659, Christiaan Huygens observed the opposition of Mars, drawing what he saw. The result was the first drawings of the recognizable surface features of the Red Planet – an achievement that wouldn’t have been possible without the advances in telescope manufacturing that Huygens himself had undertaken. One drawing of Syrtis Major Continue reading "Nov. 28, 1659: Huygens draws Mars" The post Nov. 28, 1659: Huygens draws Mars appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .