MARS CURIOSITIES YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOW ABOUT
The fourth planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun is the star of our astronomical present more than ever.
Mars, the god of war, the symbol of passion, sexuality, and male virility, is the name of the solar system’s second-smallest planet after Mercury. The planet’s two moons, Phobos (Greek for “Fear”) and Deimos (Greek for “Terror”), were named after two of Ares and Aphrodite’s sons (the counterparts of Mars and Venus, respectively, in Greek mythology).
With NASA’s Perseverance rover making its first steps across Mars and the small Ingenuity helicopter making history, Mars has become a target for all eyes and, as a result, in a busy world recently. Rovers like Curiosity, the rover’s predecessor, continue to explore the base of Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons), a mountain several kilometers high in the center of the crater Gale, as the rover acclimates to the Martian surface.
A French-American team led by William Rapin discovered that the Martian climate recorded there alternated between drier and wetter periods before drying completely about 3 billion years ago, using the ChemCam telescope to make detailed observations of the rugged terrain of Mount Sharp from a distance.
Mars’ climate most likely experienced several large-scale fluctuations between dry conditions and the environments of rivers and lakes before becoming fully entrenched in the generally arid conditions observed today. These are some of the details we’re learning about missions like Curiosity, which are tasked with characterizing the ancient Martian climate in greater detail.
Because of its orbital distance from the Earth, Mars is usually a fairly easy planet to spot in the night sky. It is also the only planet whose solid surface and atmospheric phenomena can be seen through telescopes from our planet, and thanks to research conducted since the 1960s, we have discovered that Mars is similar to Earth in many ways, such as having clouds, winds, and a 24-hour day (24 hours 39 minutes, exactly; about 3 percent longer than the solar day on Earth).
Comparing Mars to Earth
The Earth’s atmosphere is primarily composed of nitrogen and oxygen, whereas the Martian atmosphere is primarily composed of carbon dioxide. The Earth has only one moon, whereas Mars has two, Phobos and Deimos, both of which are extremely small in comparison to those on Earth. In terms of the gravitational force observed in the Martian atmosphere, a person weighing 100 kilograms on Earth would weigh approximately 38 kilograms on Mars, because the gravitational force on the red planet is 0.375 times that of Earth. Furthermore, the Martian atmosphere is 99 percent less dense than that of the Earth, and the average temperature is -27 oC, which is extremely low when compared to the Earth’s.
When did Mars get discovered?
Although we can confidently mark the 1877 calendar as significant in terms of Mars observations, they were all quite disparate. In August 1877, American astronomer Asaph Hall discovered two Martian satellites named Phobos and Deimos after Ares’ sons. On the other hand, the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli discovered a network of channels on the planet’s surface.
When did it become known as the “Red Planet”?
Although his nickname and name were given to him in honor of the Roman god of war (Ares in Greek mythology), his baptism is even older. More than four millennia ago, the ancient Egyptians referred to him as Her Decher, “The Red.”
Was Mars even habitable?
Although it is now an arid and dry landscape, there is a good chance that it was once habitable (and for a long time). It may have had life-supporting conditions 4.48 billion years ago, before the first evidence of life on Earth in about 500 million years.
Where does his reddish appearance come from?
We’ve all heard about Mars being classified as a red planet since the beginning. But why is this so? This moniker refers to the reddish color caused by iron minerals in the soil reacting with oxygen and oxidizing.
Is it true that potatoes can be grown on Mars?
In this regard, the premiere of the film “The Martian,” starring American actor Matt Damon, was not incorrect. In theory, it is possible to grow potatoes on Mars. The technology to make this a reality is already in the works. In fact, the International Space Station (ISS) already has a greenhouse with LED lights (dubbed Veggie) for growing plants.
One of Mars’ most intriguing features
Syrtis Major Planum is the largest of Mars’ famous “dark spots” and is thought to have once been an ocean. Syrtis was the very first Martian formation seen from Earth. The famous Dutch astronomer Christiaan Hyugens (discoverer of Titan, Saturn’s largest satellite) first drew it in 1659. It stretches 1,500 kilometers north of Mars’ equator and up to 1,000 kilometers west to east.
What causes the darkness in Syrtis Major Planum?
This dark color is caused by the presence of basalt and the relative lack of dust in the air, according to Martian standards. Because of its location within the planet, it has been designated as a potential landing site for future missions to Mars.
Are there auroras on Mars?
That’s correct. The Martian aurora occurs at night and is caused by sunlight interacting with atoms and oxygen molecules in the air. Even from Earth, which is relatively close, the emission is difficult to see. The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) of the European Space Agency was able to photograph them before delivering the Schiaparelli lander, which crashed to the surface due to a premature parachute launch. There are auroras almost every day, but we can’t see them. However, in order to see them as we do on Earth, we would need ultraviolet glasses.
Is it ever going to be able to house a human population?
Mars’ current conditions are far from ideal: the average temperature is well below freezing (-27oC on average, as previously stated), violent storms fill the air with dust, and, among other things, its very thin atmosphere provides little protection against the continuous impacts of meteorites.
