Mars - Marte

The 1978 Hallwag map of Mars is a remarkable piece of cartographic and scientific history, encapsulating the state of Martian exploration at a pivotal moment. Created in the wake of NASA’s groundbreaking Viking missions, which became the first successful landers on the Martian surface, this map reflects both the excitement and the expanding knowledge of the Red Planet during the late 1970s. The detailed cartography, presented in a striking black background with multiple hemispheric views, offers an intricate depiction of the Martian surface as understood at the time, with prominent geological features such as Olympus Mons (the highest planetary mountain in the entire solar system, 22 km tall), Valles Marineris (the largest canyon in the solar system, up to 7 km deep), and the polar ice caps meticulously charted.

The Viking program, consisting of two orbiters and two landers, represented a major leap in planetary exploration. Launched in 1975, Viking 1 and Viking 2 entered Martian orbit in mid-1976, with their landers successfully touching down on July 20 and September 3, respectively. These missions provided the first high-resolution images of the Martian surface, analyzed soil composition, and searched for signs of microbial life. While the landers' biological experiments did not provide conclusive evidence of life, they transformed our understanding of Mars by revealing a barren, rocky landscape with unexpected chemical activity in the soil. The Viking orbiters also mapped the planet in unprecedented detail, paving the way for the precise cartographic representation seen in this Hallwag map.

The verso of the map is equally fascinating, containing an array of supplementary information that would have been invaluable to astronomers, space enthusiasts, and researchers in the era. It includes historical maps of Mars, created through observations from Earth, a list of past and ongoing Mars missions providing historical context to planetary exploration, comparative charts between Mars and Earth illustrating the differences between these two similar planets. One of its most historically significant inclusions is the first-ever photograph from the Martian surface, obtained by the Viking mission, marking a monumental moment in space exploration. All supplementary information is provided in German, English, Italian, and French, making it accessible to a broad international audience.

This map stands as both a historical artefact and testament to the efforts of exploration of Mars in the 1970's. Its blend of cartographical detail and accompanying scientific insights makes it an exceptional document of 20th-century planetary exploration.

For more detailed maps of the surface of the Mars (in the scale 1:5,000,000), see Atlas of Mars.

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