National Aeronautics and

Space Administration Mars

The red planet MARS has inspired wild flights of imagination over the believed to be a central ingredient for the initiation of life; the evidence Significant Dates
centuries, as well as intense scientific interest. Whether fancied to be of past or present water on Mars is expected to hold clues about past or
1965 Mariner 4 made first close-up pictures of the surface
the source of hostile invaders of Earth, the home of a dying civilization, present life on Mars, as well as the potential for life elsewhere in the uni-
during flyby.
or a rough-and-tumble mining colony of the future, Mars provides fer- verse. And, before humans can safely go to Mars, we need to know 1969 Mariner 6 and Mariner 7 flybys resulted in high-resolution
tile ground for science fiction writers, based on seeds planted by cen- much more about the planet’s environment, including the availability of images of the equatorial region and southern hemisphere.
turies of scientific observations. resources such as water. 1971 Mariner 9 became first satellite to orbit another planet.
1973 U.S.S.R. Mars 3 and Mars 5 first attempt to land on Mars.
We know that Mars is a small rocky body once thought to be very Mars has some remarkable geological characteristics, including the 1976 U.S.A. Vikings 1 and 2 orbited Mars. Viking Lander 1
provided first sustained surface science. Viking Lander 2
Earth-like. Like the other “terrestrial” planets—Mercury, Venus, and largest volcanic mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons (27 km
discovered water frost on the surface.
Earth—its surface has been changed by volcanism, impacts from high and 600 km across); volcanoes in the northern Tharsis region 1996 Possible microfossil found in Martian meteorite
other bodies, movements of its crust, and atmospheric effects such as that are so huge they deform the planet’s roundness; and a gigantic ALH84001.
dust storms. It has polar ice caps that grow and recede with the equatorial rift valley, the Valles Marineris. This canyon system stretch- 1997 Mars Pathfinder lands on Mars. Sojourner Rover
change of seasons; areas of layered soils near the Martian poles sug- es a distance equivalent to the distance from New York to Los Angeles; explores Ares Vallis area for three months.
gest that the planet’s climate has changed more than once, perhaps Arizona’s Grand Canyon could easily fit into one of the side canyons of 1997–present Mars Global Surveyor maps the surface of Mars from
orbit.
caused by a regular change in the planet’s orbit. Martian tectonism— this great chasm.
2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter goes to Mars.
the formation and change of a planet’s crust—differs from Earth’s.
Where Earth tectonics involve sliding plates that grind against each Mars also has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. Although no one
other or spread apart in the seafloors, Martian tectonics seem to be knows how they formed, they may be asteroids snared by Mars’ gravity. About the Images
vertical, with hot lava pushing upwards through the crust to the sur-
(Left) Mars is about half the diameter of Earth. Here, bluish-white water ice
face. Periodically, great dust storms engulf the entire planet. The
clouds hang above the Tharsis volcanoes. The northern polar cap is visible,
effects of these storms are dramatic, including giant dunes, wind Fast Facts as is Valles Marineris, a 4,000-km-long canyon system just below the equa-
streaks, and wind-carved features. tor and to the right of center (NASA/JPL/MSSS Mars Global Surveyor).
Namesake Roman God of War (Right, top) Color-coded topography maps show the high (red and white)
Scientists believe that 3.5 billion years ago, Mars experienced the largest Mean Distance from Sun 227,936,640 km and low (blue) areas on Mars. The southern hemisphere is heavily cratered
and high, while the northern hemisphere is lower and smoother. The large
known floods in the solar system. This water may even have pooled into Orbital Period 1.88 years
Hellas basin is seen in the southern hemisphere of the top image; the three
lakes or shallow oceans. Yet the central question about Mars remains: Orbital Eccentricity 0.093 Tharsis volcanoes, Olympus Mons, and the Valles Marineris canyon system can
where is the water? Where did the ancient flood water come from, how Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 1.85° be seen in the lower image (NASA/JPL/GSFC Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter).
long did it last, and where did it go? At the present, Mars is too cold and Inclination of Equator to Orbit 25.19° (Right, bottom) Gullies with very sharp, deep, V-shaped channels on the walls
its atmosphere is too thin to allow liquid water to exist at the surface for Rotational Period 24 h 37 m of a pit might have been caused by geologically recent seepage and runoff of liq-
uid water on Mars (NASA/JPL/MSSS Mars Global Surveyor). The small white
long. We know that some water exists today frozen in the polar ice caps, Diameter 6,794 km
box in the context frame (upper right corner) shows the location of the high-
and enough water exists to form ice clouds, but the quantity of water Mass 0.11 of Earth’s resolution view (NASA/Viking).
required to carve Mars’ great channels and flood plains is not evident Density 3.94 g/cm3
on the surface today. Recent images from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor Gravity 0.38 of Earth’s
spacecraft suggest that underground reserves of water may break Atmosphere (primary components) 95% carbon dioxide References
1) Mars Exploration: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov
through the surface as springs. Unraveling the story of water on Mars is Temperature Range –143 °C to +17 °C
2) Planetary Photojournal: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov
important to unlocking its past climate history, which will help us Moons (2) in Increasing Distance from Mars Phobos, Deimos 3) Views of the Solar System: http://www.solarviews.com/eng/mars.htm
understand the evolution of all planets, including our own. Water is also Number of Rings 0 4) Stardate: http://stardate.org

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