MARS BY: BRANDI FONTENOT DAMON CHAMPAGNE TRACI SIMS

MYTHOLOGY OF MARS Mars is named for the ancient Roman god of war. The Romans and Greeks associated the planet with war because its color resembles the color of blood. The name Mars is based on the word Martial, which means warlike. This image is still used by cartoonists to symbolize war.

General knowledge of Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. It is more like Earth than any other body in our solar system. Mars is about 4.6 billion years old. Because it commonly appears with a reddish tinge when viewed in our sky, it is called the “Red Planet”. It has always held a fascination for those interested in the possibility of life on other planets.

Statistics of Mars

Atmosphere and Temperature The atmosphere of Mars is quite different from that of Earth. It is composed primarily of carbon dioxide with small amounts of other gases. The six most common components are listed below. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): 95.32% Nitrogen (N2): 2.7% Argon (Ar): 1.6% Oxygen (O2): 0.13% Water (H2O): 0.03% Neon (Ne): % The average recorded temperature on Mars is -63°C (-81° F) with a maximum temperature of 20°C (68°F) and a minimum of -140°C (-220°F)

Nighttime Surface Temperature An image of the temperature at 2 AM at night on Mars. These temperatures were measured by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.

Canyons Volcanoes Craters & Impact Basins

Valles Marineris A system of canyons lies along the equator. They run east – west for approximately 4000 km (2500 miles), which is about the width of Australia, or the distance from Philadelphia to San Diego. These canyons are known as Valles Marineris, Latin for Valleys of Mariner.

Olympus Mons Mars has the largest volcanoes in the solar system. The tallest one, Olympus Mons (Latin for Mount Olympus), rises 17 miles (27 kilometers) above the surrounding plains. It is about 370 miles (600 kilometers) in diameter. Mars also has many other types of volcanic landforms. These range from small, steep-sided cones to enormous plains covered in solidified lava. Scientist do not know how recently the last volcano erupted on Mars – some minor eruptions may still occur.

Craters & Impact Basins In its history, Mars has been struck by many meteors, producing impact craters. Some volcanoes have few craters, indicating they erupted violently. Pictures of two small impact craters on the planet Mars. This darker material was blown out from underneath the surface of Mars during such an impact.

The mantle is probably similar to Earth’s in its composition, which is composed mainly of peridotite. The current understanding of the interior of Mars suggests that it can be modeled with a thin crust, similar to Earth's, a mantle and a core. Much of the crust is probably composed of volcanic rock called basalt. If the Martian core is dense (composed of iron).

Mars and Earth: Similar and Different

Mars and Earth are similar. It has mountains and valleys, polar ice caps, and dry riverbeds. It has seasons, an atmosphere with clouds, winds and dust storms, and a solid rocky surface. Compared to all the other known planets besides our own, Mars also has a moderate climate – summertime temperatures at the martian equator are comparable to those of winter in Antarctica! As a result, Mars is the only place other than the Moon that humans can think realistically about exploring on foot. The differences between Mars and Earth, however, are many. Mars is only half as large as our planet. Its thin atmosphere is comprised of about 95 percent carbon dioxide, with nitrogen and argon next in abundance. The sunlight that reaches Mars is only half as intense as that on this planet, and Mars' atmospheric pressure and density are about 100 times less than Earth's. These two factors combine to make Mars a very cold place--in winter it often falls to minus 118ºC (minus 180ºF).

The Moons of Mars Mars has two moons, Deimos and Phobos. Both Deimos and Phobos have compositions similar to asteroids found in the outer half of the asteroid belt. They are both tiny: Deimos is 15 km (9 mi) across, and Phobos is 27 km (17 mi) across.

Mars Moon Summary Moon # Radius(km) Mass(kg) Distance(km) Discoverer Date Phobos I 13.5x10.8x e+16 9,380 A. Hall 1877 Deimos II 7.5x6.1x e+15 23,460 A. Hall 1877 Phobos I Deimos II

SPIRIT This is one of several rovers to touch ground on Mars. Spirit has been on Mars for 13 months and provided us with a great deal of useful information.

Water on Mars ?? Under current conditions, liquid water on the surface of Mars would either freeze or evaporate almost immediately. The atmosphere, too, is almost without water. Thus, one would not expect to find features that look like those carved by rivers and floods on Earth. But, surprisingly, these can be found almost everywhere on the planet because of the outflow channels and valley networks. Under current conditions, liquid water on the surface of Mars would either freeze or evaporate almost immediately. The atmosphere, too, is almost without water. Thus, one would not expect to find features that look like those carved by rivers and floods on Earth. But, surprisingly, these can be found almost everywhere on the planet because of the outflow channels and valley networks.

These features are divided into two types: outflow channels and valley networks. On the following map, the outflow channels are colored red, and the valley networks are yellow. Most of the outflow channels are isolated to a fairly small area of the planet, in the younger terrains on Mars. In contrast, the valley networks are present over almost half the planet, mostly in the ancient heavily- cratered southern highlands.

Outflows Channels in Northern Lowlands North of Valles Marineris

Valley Networks

Conclusion of Water on Mars Today, based on our observations from orbit, Mars appears to be very dry. There is little water in the atmosphere and only a small amount of water ice in evidence on the surface, yet the planet is covered with features that are best explained by the movement of water, either in catastrophic floods or the slow movement of groundwater. Whether water was present early in the history of Mars and was lost to space over eons, or is still present in great underground deposits of ice and groundwater, is a question whose answer must be left for the future exploration of Mars.

Possibility of Life on Mars 3 ingredients Scientists believe are necessary for life: 1. Chemical elements that are the building blocks of life (C,H,O,& N) 2.A source of energy (could be the sun, but could also be the heat inside Mars) 3.Liquid water (Water has existed near the surface over much of the planets history. It has apparently carved channels, valleys, & gullies. It probably still exists beneath the surface today, & is keep liquid by the heat inside the planet.

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