Earth’s neighbor, Mars, is the fourth planet from the Sun and also the second smallest in our solar system. Being a rocky planet, Mars has some similarities to our home planet, but its topography, atmosphere, and positioning within the solar system makes it, literally, a completely different world. Learn more about Mars with these 10 facts.
Mars’ Olympus Mons is the biggest volcano in the Milky Way.
From the surface of Mars extends Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the entire solar system. It measures 370 miles (600 kilometers) across and rises nearly 17 miles (27 kilometers) from the surrounding land. The volcano is part of a volcanic system sitting atop a hotspot, a place where Mars’ crusts allows the passage of red-hot magma from its core to the surface. Although there is little evidence of any recent volcanic eruptions from Olympus Mons, it is still possible the planet is still volcanically live.
Oxidized iron is what makes the Red Planet red.
Mars has fittingly gained the nickname “The Red Planet” because of the appearance of its surface. What gives it its color is the loose rock and dust that blanket the planet. It’s extremely rich in iron, which oxidizes (rusts), resulting in the reddish color.
Many cultures have named Mars because of its color.
The bloody color of Earth’s neighbor has been inspiring cultures for centuries to come up with names befitting the planet. The Greeks called it Ares after their god of war. The name Mars came from the Romans, who also named it after their god of war. Egyptians referred to it as “Her Desher” (the red one), and Chinese astronomers called it “the fire star.”
Mars is the only planet in our solar system that has carbon dioxide snow clouds.
Due to the Mars’ atmospheric composition, which is about 96% carbon dioxide, the celestial body is a host to carbon dioxide snow clouds.
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter detected the weird weather phenomenon when it found carbon dioxide snowfall on the planet’s south pole during the Martian winter in 2006 – 2007. Mars’ south pole is home to a carbon dioxide ice cap (also known as “dry ice”) all year round, and the Orbiter’s discovery sheds light on to how it could have been formed and maintained. Mars also experiences water snowfall, the same wintery flakes we get here on Earth, but is the only planet in our solar system that generates CO2 clouds.
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter detected the weird weather phenomenon when it found carbon dioxide snowfall on the planet’s south pole during the Martian winter in 2006 – 2007. Mars’ south pole is home to a carbon dioxide ice cap (also known as “dry ice”) all year round, and the Orbiter’s discovery sheds light on to how it could have been formed and maintained. Mars also experiences water snowfall, the same wintery flakes we get here on Earth, but is the only planet in our solar system that generates CO2 clouds.
Mars’ gravitational pull is a little over one-third of Earth’s.
Mars has a gravitational pull that is a mere 38% that of Earth, meaning if you weigh 100 pounds on Earth, you would only weigh 38 pounds on the surface of Mars. The force of gravity on Mars is still more than on Earth’s moon, however.
A year on Mars is about two times longer than a year on Earth.
In the Milky Way, one year equals the time spent to make one full revolution around the sun. One year on Mars is nearly twice as long as one on Earth, taking about 687 Earth days. During every Martian year, the planet experiences the same four seasons as Earth, as well as two additional ones: aphelion and perihelion.
Every two years for about two weeks, we lose all communication with the spacecraft surrounding Mars due to solar conjunction.
Solar conjunction occurs when Mars and Earth end up on opposite sides of the Sun during their orbit. They completely lose sight of each other, making clear communication impossible.
How do mission controllers cope with this two-week break in communication? They send enough information to guide the craft for the allotted amount of time prior to the solar conjunction and then play the waiting game – many times during a well-deserved vacation.
How do mission controllers cope with this two-week break in communication? They send enough information to guide the craft for the allotted amount of time prior to the solar conjunction and then play the waiting game – many times during a well-deserved vacation.
Mars’ northern and southern hemispheres are very different.
The northern and southern hemispheres of Mars are opposites in more ways than one. The northern half of the planet is relatively smooth and flat, while the southern half consists of huge mountains and craters. The southern hemisphere also has a thicker crust.
This isn’t how the planet was formed, so the most plausible explanation for the difference between the halves is an asteroid impact. Scientists have since found enough evidence to estimate the size and velocity of such an asteroid: they think it could have been the size of Pluto and traveling at speeds topping 32,000 kilometers per hour!
This isn’t how the planet was formed, so the most plausible explanation for the difference between the halves is an asteroid impact. Scientists have since found enough evidence to estimate the size and velocity of such an asteroid: they think it could have been the size of Pluto and traveling at speeds topping 32,000 kilometers per hour!
Mars is on a collision course with Phobos, one of its moons.
Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, is a rugged-edged body that is on course to collide with its host planet, leading to the moon’s demise. Phobos gets 1.8 meters closer to the surface of Mars every hundred years, and at that rate it will either collide with Mars in 50 million years or shatter into a ring.
The Mars One manned mission is planned for 10 years from now.
It is estimated that a manned mission to Mars will begin in a short 10 years from now. The Mars One mission is aiming to establish a permanent human settlement on the planet’s surface. Each person chosen for the mission will be trained extensively, and then handed a one-way ticket.