A Martian sundial might well sound as if it has come straight from some H.G. Wells or Jules Verne-inspired steampunk fantasy, but Leeds astronomer and former President of the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society Charles Whitmell (1849-1919) did actually once build such a device. Now, over a century later, a similar timepiece is being carried over the surface of Mars by NASA’s Perseverance Rover as it hunts for signs of life on the Red Planet after its landing on 18^th February 2021. As we move into our third century, the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society is delighted to be reaching beyond Yorkshire and to the stars.