Final answer:
Pops compares Mars to a tantalizing object when seen through a telescope, highlighting its distinct red color due to iron oxides and the visibility of polar ice caps and surface markings. Mars's historical possibility of liquid water and a thicker atmosphere also suggest it could have supported life. Despite its smaller size relative to Earth, Mars has a thin atmosphere, unlike smaller celestial bodies like the Moon or Mercury.
Step-by-step explanation:
In "August 2002: Night Meeting," Pops compares Mars to a tantalizing object when seen through a telescope. Mars is distinctly red, a characteristic owed to the presence of iron oxides in its soil. The color is so prominent that it influenced its association with war and blood in early cultures' legends. Telescopic observation from Earth can reveal bright polar ice caps and dusky surface markings on Mars, though topographic structures like mountains and valleys are not discernible at this resolution.
Mars is also known for possibly having had a thick atmosphere and seas of liquid water in the distant past, suggesting that conditions may have been suitable for the development of life. Today, there may still be a chance that some form of life exists in protected environments below the Martian surface. Comparatively, Mars is smaller than Earth, with only 0.11 times its mass, and unlike the Moon or Mercury, Mars has managed to retain a thin atmosphere.