Mars photographed through the years

This is a view of Mariner 4 in flight attitude on July 13, 1965. (Photo/AP)

The Mariner 9 is depicted in this artist's concept going into orbit around Mars on Nov. 13, 1971. (Photo/AP)

A partial lifting of the dust storm enabled the Mariner 9 to record this view of the surface from an elevation of 4,000 miles on Dec. 17, 1971. (Photo/AP)

This is the first color photograph of the surface of the planet Mars, taken by the Viking 1 probe in 1976. (Getty)

This shows the red Martian landscape and part of the Lander itself. Viking 2 landed in the Utopia Planitia region of Mars in 1976. (Getty)

The surface of the planet Mars is shown in this photo taken by the Viking orbiter in the late 1970s. The red arrow points to a crater near the Mars Pathfinder's 1997 location. (Photo/AP)

These photos, taken of the planet Mars by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1996, show a huge dust storm churning near the edge of the north polar cap. (Photo/AP)

Clouds in the sky are shown over the planet Mars in an undated image taken by the Mars Pathfinder and shown during a briefing on NASA television in 1997. (Photo/AP)

This photo was part of a series showing a panorama of the surface of the planet Mars released from NASA television in 1997. (Photo/AP)

This was one of the first images received by the NASA Pathfinder, which landed on Mars on July 4, 1997. (Photo/AP)

This March 13, 1999, image is a wide-angle view of the Martian north polar cap as it appeared to the Mars Orbiter Camera. (Photo/AP)

Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this stunning sunset on the red planet on May 19, 2005. (Getty)

Mars' own Grand Canyon, Valles Marineris, is shown on the surface of the planet in this composite image made aboard NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft in 2006. (Getty)

An image released by NASA in 2009 shows the Endeavor crater on Mars viewed from the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (Photo/AP)

This 2012 ''postcard,'' taken by NASA's Curiosity rover, shows the base of Mount Sharp, the rover's eventual science destination. (Getty)

This image sent by NASA's Opportunity rover on Jan. 7, 2015 shows a view from atop a Martian hill. (Photo/AP)

Scientists believe these 100 meter-long streaks called recurring slope lineae, shown here on a false color image, are strong evidence of flowing water on Mars. (NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)

NASA has been exploring Mars -- and sending back incredible images -- for 50 years. The latest big announcement, complete with photographic evidence, is that the red planet contains liquid water.
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Take a look back at some other big moments in NASA's Mars exploration history in the gallery above.