NASA | Mars Evolution

Billions of years ago when the Red Planet was young, it appears to have had a thick atmosphere that was warm enough to support oceans of liquid water - a critical ingredient for life. The animation shows how the surface of Mars might have appeared during this ancient clement period, beginning with a flyover of a Martian lake. The artist's concept is based on evidence that Mars was once very different. Rapidly moving clouds suggest the passage of time, and the shift from a warm and wet to a cold and dry climate is shown as the animation progresses. The lakes dry up, while the atmosphere gradually transitions from Earthlike blue skies to the dusty pink and tan hues seen on Mars today.

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[psylinx]

Such a beautiful world, so full of promise and now it is all lost memory and dust, the sadness of it all.

[pnball]

Looks and sounds like an ad for an early 2000's computer game

[jacobtennyson]

Here is what happen to Mars:

 4.6 billion years ago Mars formed. It didn't have moons. It have an active iron-nickel core and its own geomagnetic field. It formed to a point when its mass at about 4, 000 miles in diameter and its gravity at 0.38g. It was strong enough to form an very thick carbon dioxide atmosphere and produced active few volcanoes.

When Mars was 420 million years old, it cool quicker than Earth but its warmer and wetter due to its CO2 very heavy and pressurized atmosphere. It rained globally for a few million of years until it developed shallow seas, ponds, rivers, watering holes but no global oceans.

When Mars was over 500 million years old a Pluto sized moon was captured by Martian Gravity. It orbit the planet for at least a million years or more. Looks like Mars is ready to be like Big Sister Earth, make life. But wrong! The Pluto sized moon got too close its Roche Limit, was severely crushed apart. Then the moon crash in the northern polar regions of Mars causing much debris to either scatter around the planet, leave the Martian Gravity. Some parts of the Martian-Pluto like moon objects landed on early Oceanic Earth. It could be a fresh start for possibly Martian aerobic bacteria to make life on in their new home Earth. The Pluto size moon was no more. It striped most of the Martian crust out into space. and rest of the water, and its heavy pressurized CO2 atmosphere. The impact also disrupt the accretion process of the Martian liquid metallic inner core causing to slow down. Soon it will solidify when Mars turns over 1.5 billion years old. By that time Mars is reforming, it's gaining back its geomagnetic field, CO2 atmosphere by volcanic activity and its rain globally for few more millions of years to produce a global northern ocean. What's left of the bits of pieces of Mars-Pluto like moon meteors crashed into Mars. Some of the tiny pieces of meteors formed 2 moons called Phobos and Deimos. It's going to help Mars stabilize its rotation, but not enough due their low gravity.

When Mars reach over 1.5 billion years old. It's core started to solidify and harden, its volcanoes started to slow down. Mars lost its geomagnetic shield. A little bit of methane, nitrogen and small amounts of oxygen and ozone was blown away due to hydrogen fluxing and solar wind. Since CO2 is a heavy gas, it stayed. Without more atmospheric pressure, it's global ocean started to disappear either into space or lock up in frozen CO2 covered Martian ground as permafrost.

When Mars was 3 billion years old, it went though a quick ice age. Some CO2 and water resurfaced only to disappear either into space of went back underground as the planet slowly warm up due to increase levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.

When Mars was 4.2 billion years old. The planet became red and dead from the surface, but possibly alive under the what it used to be the crust. From the time the formation of the Martian Ocean to lost of its geomagnetic field and atmosphere. Martian life might have developed for a brief moment until the planet died. It's a theory that Martian life could have survived in the surface as primordial aerobic bacteria species between 2.2 billion and 165 million years ago. We are not going know further what happen to Mars until we get there and its mysteries. 

If Mars would have been either Earth size or Super-Earth sized. It's a greater chance that we could meet real Martians or the Martians come see us. If its they want peace, we give them peace. If they want war, we give them war. Otherwise we humans can go to Mars, set up a colony ( hopefully we don';t destroy any flora and fauna species) and became Martians.

[erebus]

At least we can all agree this wasn't caused by humans

[amaxwell]

I am really impressed with the new research and findings that scientists have found about Mars.

[SidneyMosley]

6 months later... Still can't find the music to this.

[Dracononnagon]

Does this remind anyone else of that planet called... Ah, what was it again... Oh, yes! Planet Earth! 

[artificium_]

was this music made specifically for this video? if not what is it? it's beautiful

[vinyxvi]

Oh! So much thanks to the guy who recorded this video 4 Billion year ago to us, really thanks for that, man. 

[Ishowthemeattt]

I remember when this said it was uploaded 33 minutes ago

[navonwarren]

Y’all still replying to people who made comments years ago meaning that account some of y’all replying to some inactive accounts

[CarolynCollinsPetersen]

Michael, understanding the past of a world is as important, perhaps more important, than understanding its present or future. We do this with Earth, we do it with the Moon, and so on. 

This is a critical part of scientific understanding. If you don't understand that, then I doubt you understand the scientific process. We are a visual species, and as such, a video showing how Mars may have looked (based on very sound scientific, geological principles) teaches more than words or equations might convey.  

It is unfortunate that you do not understand it, and in that non-understanding, you seek to put down a creative attempt to teach science. 

[MelvinStudios]

I see scientists have learned to use VUE templates! :-) They are left to figure out the render settings.
Смотрю, ученые научились в VUE с заготовками :) Им осталось разобраться в настройках рендера

[SurajKumar-lnij]

Thats how much magnetosphere is important to us.

[stephenrulz]

It would have been really interesting to see mars back when it did have water. I wonder how different out understanding of the universe would be different. But I guess for now we'll just have to work with clues left behind over a billion years ago

[drewkastelajara]

This looks like a movie trailer. Love it!

[AdriaanOos]

That video is quite sad :(
The reactions on this video cheered me all up though. Hoerey for crazy people *O*

[LuisEnriqueLescanoNarro]

Es increíble marte hace cuatro billones de años se parece muchísimo a la tierra. Quizás es hora de concientizarnos pues si seguimos siendo imprudentes el futuro de la tierra será ser un planeta sin vida igual que marte lo es AHORA.

[zidanejacobturaray]

mars looks like earth from billion years ago :0

[disoprano]

If Mars once substained life 4 Billion years ago, than what happened to it's moon's to control water? Phobos and Deimos?