Mars has been seen in many ways throughout history, and not all of them accurate.

While this 1995 Hubble telescope image is not the first (or last) full-globe view of the Red Planet, it was at the time the clearest one taken, and it stands today as an intriguing look at a place about which we love to speculate.

"Looking at pictures of our Red Planet neighbor never grows tiring," Villard says. "The swirling atmosphere is always changing, kicking up dust storms and fleecy white clouds as the planet whirls like a toy top."

But Mars is more than that. Dreamers and scientists alike still pin many hopes on Mars, and even though it is relatively nearby in relation to today's long-range photographic abilities, there is much we don't know about our nearest planetary neighbor.

"Views of Mars resonate deeply because we all wonder if there are places like our own planet out there in the universe," Villard says. "Enigmatic Mars speaks to the ultimate question: Are we alone in the universe?"