FACTS ABOUT MARSMars Facts
The following information is adapted from: http://www.astroverde.org/observing_mars.htm Mars is the 4th planet from the Sun. It orbits around the Sun between the Earth and the asteroid belt. It is about one and a half times as far from the Sun as the Earth. Mars is a little more than half the size of Earth, and has two small moons, which are basically asteroids captured in its gravitational pull. The atmosphere is very thin, having about 1/180 the atmospheric pressure of the Earth. It is chiefly composed of Carbon Dioxide (95.3%), Nitrogen (2.7%), and Argon (1.6%). Mars has a reddish-orange color caused by the iron-rich minerals in its soil. A fine-grained reddish dust blankets the planet and can be lifted into the atmosphere when blown by the wind. Martian dust storms range from small dust devils to an occasional spectacular event that shrouds the entire planet for months! On the surface, there are many intriguing features such as volcanoes and canyons. The highest point on the planet is Olympus Mons, a huge shield volcano about 26 km (16 miles) high and 600 km (370 mi) across, about the same size area as the state of Arizona. Ask the class: how does Olympus Mons compare to Mt. Everest? (First give the class a chance to guess or estimate the difference and then to stimulate them state that Everest is 20,029 feet tall. Encourage the students to convert feet into miles. The correct answer is that Olympus Mons is about three times as tall as Everest). The canyon system of Valles Marineris is the largest and deepest known in the solar system. It extends more than 4,000 km (2,500 miles) and reaches depths of 5 to 10 km (3 to 6 miles) below the surface. Finally, Mars has polar caps composed primarily of frozen carbon dioxide and water ice that grow and shrink with the changing Martian seasons. Published on Feb 12, 2014
Space exploration documentary - COLONIZE MARS 2015, survive outside Earth's atmosphere, what are the consequences of colonize other planets than Earth, like Mars - and never to return? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-rEDyCo0ao |