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Posted on October 2, 2008 by Freeda Poux | Posted under Science
Interesting facts About Mars: More Than The Red Planet
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Mars, the 4th planet in our solar system, was visited several times by space missions, such as Mariner 4 in 1964, the probes Mars2 and Mars3 in 1971, the Viking Program, in 1975, the probes Phobos 1 and 2, Mars Observer, in 1992, Mars Global Surveyor in 1996 and the list continues up till now. The most recent NASA exploration missions include Mars Odyssey and Mars Exploration Rovers. The newest is Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005. The missions brought many information on Mars climate, and other geological aspects. Size Mars is about half of our planet, but its weight is only one tenth, compared to Earth. Its red color is given by the iron oxide that covers its surface. Geological aspects Besides iron oxide, Mars is also covered with basalt and silica, and it is considered to be a sturdy rock. Presence of water There is no water on Mars, but the planet has two polar ice surfaces on the poles, at the North and at the South. Evaluations say that the melting of one cap can cover all the planet with water. Atmosphere The air on Mars is not breathable for humans, as it is made of 95% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen and 1.6% argon. Climate Its rotation around the Sun makes Mars to have different seasons, as we do on Earth. But the different distance from the Sun, determines each season to be longer, and when the planet is closest to the Sun, dust storms occur. Other studies show that the southern hemisphere knows a more severe climate than the northern one. How is Mars different from Earth A year on Mars has 687 days (Earth days) and the normal day is longer with more than 39 minutes. The planet has about the same axial tilt as the Earth. While the Earth has only one moon, Mars has two, Phobos and Deimos. Their behavior is different and very interesting. Phobos travels only 11 hours from rise to set, but Deimos travels for 2.7 days for the same journey. Deimos is further away from Mars, and it cannot be seen as a moon, but more as a big star; Phobos, on the other hand, looks like one third of our moon. Presence of life Due to the severe atmospheric and climate conditions, there are slight chances to find life on Mars. Scientists say that the harsh solar winds, the insufficient atmospheric pressure and other factors prevent life from forming on this planet. Other facts From Mars, virtually, one can see the Earth, Mercury and Venus, as well as our moon.The color present on Mars surface is red, orange and sometimes yellow.The Earth was closest to Mars on December 27, 2007. About The Author: Freeda is a writer and publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com |
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