Exploring Mars:  Geography and Mission Planning

These locations, on Mars, were considered as possible landing sites for NASA spacecraft.

Latitude	Longitude
22°N	48°W	Viking 1 Site
20°N	252°W
44°N	10°W
7°S	43°W
48°N	226°W	Viking 2 Site
44°N	110°W
5°S	5°W
19°N	34°W	Mars Pathfinder Site
76°S	195°W	Mars Polar Lander Site

1. If martians sent spacecraft to these same latitudes and longitudes on Earth, what would they find? Would they find life or an advanced civilization?
2. If you were a martian, why would you explore the Earth? Does Earth have resources you might need? What would you want to know about the Earth? Where would you land first?

(Adapted from B. M. French, The Viking Discoveries, NASA EP-146, Oct. 1977)