Why are we so fascinated with Mars, our neighbor in space? Why is it so like our own Earth in some ways, and so utterly different in others? Spacecraft from NASA and the European Space Agency are scrutinizing every bit of its globe—both from orbit and from the ground—to determine the planet's geologic history. NASA’s InSight lander launches from the California coast to the plains of Mars in May, on a mission of surface and subsurface exploration that gives the planet its first thorough check-up since it was formed 4.5 billion years ago.

Kelly Beatty, senior editor for Sky & Telescope magazine, leads an examination of the Red Planet from afar and up close. Learn where to locate it in the night sky as it comes especially near in the coming months. (It won't be hard to spot: In July, Mars comes its closest to Earth since 2003). Get a sense of what can be seen of Mars through a backyard telescope, and delve into the real odds of finding life there. Part of the interplanetary tour puts you right on the dusty Martian surface, thanks to 3D imagery (with glasses provided).