NASA's mapping of Mars now bears the names of three iconic Algerian national parks, Algerian physicist Noureddine Melikechi, a member of the US space agency's largest Mars probe mission, tells AFP. The Tassili n'Ajjer, Ghoufi and Djurdjura national parks have found their Martian namesakes after a proposition by Melikechi, which he sought as both a tribute to his native Algeria and a call to protect Earth. "Our planet is fragile, and it's a signal to the world that we really need to take care of our national parks, whether they are in Algeria or elsewhere," the US-based scientist tells AFP. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES