Mars

The Red Planet is, in many ways, the planet that is most like Earth, which is probably why our science fiction is filled with stories of Martians. Even Bugs Bunny has had run-ins with Martians. Percival Lowell even drew maps of the canals built by Martians. But our first close-up images of Mars from Mariner 4 were a little disappointing to those who imagine Mars to be inhabited. Subsequent pictures have shown Mars to be a place that may have once been hospitable. Mars has approximately the same period of rotation as Earth. Mars may have even had plate tectonics in the past.

It has polar ice caps which consist of frozen water and carbon dioxide. We occasionally see clouds in Mars' thin atmosphere. In the spring on Mars, the carbon dioxide in the polar cap sublimates and the increase in atmospheric pressure causes huge dust storms to form. The surface temperature is never higher than about 10 degrees Celsius. Here's the latest Martian weather report!

Here are some of the essential facts about Mars:

Radius 3397 km which is about half the size of Earth
Rotation 24 hours 37 minutes sidereal
Revolution 1.87 years to orbit the Sun
Semi major axis 1.52 A.U. Mar's orbit is about one and one half times larger than Earth's
Atmosphere Mostly Carbon Dioxide at an atmospheric pressure which is less than one hundredth Earth's.
Surface Features Olympus Mons a huge shield volcano in the north Valles Marineris discovered by the Mariner 9 probe. Here is Valles Marineris in 3D!.
Mars also has polar ice caps, and a face? The Face on Mars is just an illusion formed by light and shadow, isn't it?
Moons or rings Phobos and Deimos, probably captured minor planets.
Space Probes Mars has been visited several times by many spacecraft. In 1976, the U.S. landed two Viking probes on the surface. Most recently, the Mars Pathfinder mission has been most successful and the Mars Odyssey has begun its extensive data collection in earnest. And of course the Mars Exploration Rovers have had a long and successful mission on the surface of the Red Planet. Next to Mars: the Mars Science Laboratory. Let's watch it being built.

   Many meteorites from Mars have been found recently. Close examination of at least one of these meteorites suggests the presence of life. Much has been made of this new evidence which seems to show that life existed in the past on Mars. Is there life on Mars today? This site gives you everything you need to make you own conclusions.

   The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft took more than 100,000 images! Images from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft seem to show evidence of sedimentary rock on Mars. Does this mean that water once flowed freely on the surface of Mars? Look at this image of the crater Yuty, which seems to have made a splat when the impactor hit permafrost.

   Will humans ever travel to Mars? What would it be like to stand on the surface of Mars? I believe that, in my lifetime, humans will visit the Red Planet. Find out what NASA has planned and take a virtual tour of the Mars Habitat.

    There is a relatively easy way to get to Mars. I have done it myself.

Try this site for more information on Mars!

    More 3D images!

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Updated October 27, 2010