Mars: Just The Fiction . ... Credit Copyright: The Viking Project , NASA Explanation: For centuries, astronomers have observed Mars , patiently compiling many facts and theories. Like a distant mirror of Earth dwellers' hopes and fears for the future, Mars, the fourth planet from the sun , has inspired profound works of fiction as well. ... As two spacecraft from Earth now draw close to the red planet- in dreams, desires , and a quest for knowledge - we are once again bound for Mars . ...