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Mars Planet

Filed under: Geography Universe on 2021-07-20 15:52:08
# Mars is often referred to as the “Red Planet” because of the reddish iron oxide prevalent on its surface.

# Mars has a thin atmosphere and has surface features ranging from impact craters of the Moon and the valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps of Earth.

# Mars is the site of Olympus Mons (shield volcano), the largest volcano and the highest known mountain (24 km) in the Solar System, and of Valles Marineris, one of the largest canyons in the Solar System.

# Mars has two irregularly shaped moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are thought to be captured asteroids.

# Liquid water cannot exist on the surface of Mars due to low atmospheric pressure (less than 1% of the Earth’s).

# The two polar ice caps appear to be made largely of water.

# Mars can easily be seen from Earth with the naked eye.

# Mars is less dense than Earth, having about 15% of Earth’s volume and 11% of Earth’s mass.

# Landforms visible on Mars strongly suggest that liquid water has existed on the planet’s surface.

# Mars lost its magnetosphere 4 billion years ago, possibly because of numerous asteroid strikes, so the solar wind interacts directly with the Martian ionosphere, lowering the atmospheric density.

# The atmosphere of Mars consists of about 96% carbon dioxide, 1.93% argon and 1.89% nitrogen along with traces of oxygen and water.

# Methane has been detected in the Martian atmosphere (may indicate the existence of life).

# Methane can exist in the Martian atmosphere for only a limited period before it is destroyed — estimates of its lifetime range from 0.6-4 years.

# Its presence despite this short lifetime indicates that an active source of the gas must be present.

# Geological means such as serpentinization, volcanic activity, cometary impacts, and the presence of methanogenic microbial life forms are among possible sources.
Of all the planets in the Solar System, the seasons of Mars are the most Earth-like, due to the similar tilts of the two planets’ rotational axes.

# The lack of a magnetosphere and the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars are a challenge: the planet has little heat transfer across its surface, poor insulation against the bombardment of the solar wind.

# Mars is nearly geologically dead; the end of volcanic activity has stopped the recycling of chemicals and minerals between the surface and interior of the planet.

Mars Compared to Earth

# 53% the diameter of Earth.
# 10% the mass of Earth.
# Surface gravity on Mars is only 38% the gravity on Earth.
# A day on Mars lasts 1.03 Earth days.
# Axial tilt on Mars is 25.19 degrees. Very close to Earth’s 23.5֯ tilt.
# A year on Mars lasts about twice as long as an Earth year; the seasons are twice as long.
# The atmosphere of Mars (95% carbon dioxide) is less than 1% the thickness of Earth’s atmosphere.
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