Mars: The Red Planet

By Sarah Wolbach

What does Mars mean?

Roman god of war

Red color is associated with blood

Observed by Ancient Romans

Discovery of Mars

First observed by Egyptians – 1570 B.C.

Galileo Galilei was the first to view Mars through a telescope – 1610 A.D.

Distances

Fourth planet from the suno 227,940,000 km away

Distance from the Earth:o Varies because of their orbitso Avg. 225 million km

Planet Measurements

Mass – 6.42 x 1023 km

Volume – 1.63 x 1011 km

Gravity – 3.71 m/s2

Density – 3.93 g/cm3

o Mars would sink in water

because it is more dense than water.

Orbit and Rotation

687 Earth days to orbit the sun

24 hours and 40 min to rotate on its own axis

Mars’ Atmosphere

100 times thinner than Earth’s 95.3% Carbon Dioxide 2.7% Nitrogen 1.6% Argon .13% Oxygen .08% Carbon Monoxide

Temperature Range

Much colder than Earth

Temperatures average -60° to -125° C

Can reach 20° C in the summer

Composition/Appearance

Rocky, thick layer of oxidized iron dust and rocks

Crust – volcanic basalt rock

Solid Core – iron, nickel, sulfur

“The Red Planet” High iron content Dusty surface Appears to be red from Earth

Moons

Phobos Deimos• asteroid-sized• 9,377 km above Mars• orbits twice a day• discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall

• asteroid-sized• 23,460 km above Mars• takes 30.35 hours to complete orbit• discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall

Water

Much of the water escaped because of the thin atmosphere and less gravity

Water contained in ice caps at north/south poles

More water is frozen beneath the surface and covered by red dust

What would happen if a human traveled to Mars?

No oxygen

Low gravity; could float

High radiation from Sun because of the thin atmosphere

Very cold temperatures

Special Features

Tallest mountain in the solar system – Olympus Mons

Longest, deepest canyon in the solar system – Valles Marineris

Similar tilt and seasons as Earth

Dust storms Winds over 125 mph Storms can last for weeks

Bibliography

Lavender, Gemma, Mphys. "Can We Make Mars Our Home?" Astronomy For Kids. KidsKnowIt Network, n.d. Web. Dec. 2013. <http://www.kidsastronomy.com/Men-on-Mars-article.php>.

"Mars: Facts & Figures." Solar System Exploration: Planets: Mars: Overview. NASA, n.d. Web. Dec. 2013. <http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mars>.

"Phobos and Deimos." ESA - Space for Kids. European Space Agency, n.d. Web. Dec. 2013. <http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/SEM4Q6WJD1E_OurUniverse_0.html>.

Redd, Nola Taylor. "Water on Mars: Exploration & Evidence." Space.com. TechMedia Network, 26 Sept. 2013. Web. Dec. 2013. <http://www.space.com/17048-water-on-mars.html>.

Sharp, Tim. "Mars' Atmosphere: Composition, Climate & Weather." Space.com. TechMedia Network, 3 Aug. 2012. Web. Dec. 2013. <http://www.space.com/16903-mars-atmosphere-climate-weather.html>.

Sharp, Tim. "What Is Mars Made Of?" Space.com. TechMedia Network, 3 Aug. 2012. Web. Dec. 2013. <http://www.space.com/16895-what-is-mars-made-of.html>.

Image Citationshttp://wordquests.info/cgi/ice2-for.cgi?file=/hsphere/local/home/scribejo/wordquests.info/htm/L-Gk-mars.htm&HIGHLIGHT=ares

http://www.sparselysageandtimely.com/blog/?p=18469

http://weeklyworldnews.com/aliens/8218/mars-traded-with-ancient-egypt/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/photogalleries/galileos-telescope-pictures-anniversary/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9250628/Mars-was-covered-in-water-just-like-the-Earth.html

http://glossi.com/afryer222/57505-mars-by-aj?tkn=0253bdcc7a97423bb60863a3c1c65b77&eb=afryer222

http://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/nightsky/nightsky03/

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2003/32.cfm

http://www.space.com/16903-mars-atmosphere-climate-weather.html