when was mars discovered

Mars was not discovered in the modern sense because it has been visible to the naked eye since ancient times. Ancient Egyptian astronomers, Babylonian astronomers, and other ancient cultures observed Mars thousands of years ago. The planet is one of the five planets visible without a telescope, so it was known to humans from very early history. The first telescopic observation of Mars was made by Galileo Galilei in 1610, marking the beginning of detailed scientific study of the planet. Later, Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens made significant observations in 1659, including the first drawing of Mars's surface features. So, while Mars has been known since ancient times, the scientific discovery through telescopic observations began with Galileo in 1610.