Mars Planet

Mars has been extensively studied within our solar system, with rovers sent to explore its unique terrain. Evidence from NASA missions suggests that Mars was once much warmer and wetter, with a thicker atmosphere billions of years ago.

The planet was named Mars by the ancient Romans in honor of their god of war, due to its reddish appearance resembling blood. Similarly, other ancient civilizations also associated Mars with its red color, such as the Egyptians calling it “Her Desher,” meaning “the red one.” Today, it is commonly known as the “Red Planet” due to the oxidation of iron minerals in its soil, causing its surface to appear red.

Size and Distance

Mars, with a radius of 2,106 miles (3,390 kilometers), is approximately half the size of Earth. To put it in perspective, if Earth were the size of a nickel, Mars would be about as big as a raspberry.

Situated at an average distance of 142 million miles (228 million kilometers) from the Sun, Mars is 1.5 astronomical units away. One astronomical unit (AU) represents the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. From this vantage point, it takes approximately 13 minutes for sunlight to reach Mars from the Sun.

Surface :

Mars, often called the Red Planet, is a richly diverse world with a palette of vibrant colors. Although it appears reddish from a distance due to the oxidization of iron in its rocks, soil, and dust, its surface actually displays a range of colors, including brown, gold, and tan.

Despite being about half the size of Earth, Mars boasts nearly the same surface area as Earth’s dry land. Its landscape has been shaped by volcanoes, impact craters, crustal movement, and atmospheric conditions like dust storms, resulting in some of the most fascinating topographical features in the solar system.

One standout feature of Mars is the expansive canyon system, Valles Marineris, which spans more than 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) – long enough to stretch from California to New York. This Martian canyon reaches a width of 200 miles (320 kilometers) and a depth of 4.3 miles (7 kilometers), making it approximately 10 times the size of Earth’s Grand Canyon.

Mars is also home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, standing three times taller than Earth’s Mount Everest has a base that spans an area comparable to Equivalent to the size of the state of New Mexico.

Evidence indicates that Mars once had a watery past, featuring ancient river valleys, deltas, and lakebeds. Additionally, the surface contains rocks and minerals that could have only formed in the presence of liquid water. Scientists theorize that Mars underwent massive flooding approximately 3.5 billion years ago.

Although liquid water cannot exist for long on the surface due to the thin Martian atmosphere, water-ice is found just below the surface in the polar regions, and briny (salty) water seasonally flows down some hillsides and crater walls on Mars.

The intricacies of this neighboring planet make it a subject of great fascination and exploration for scientists and space enthusiasts alike.

Atmosphere:

The atmosphere of Mars primarily consists of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon gases, resulting in a hazy, red sky due to suspended dust. Unlike Earth’s blue tint, Mars’ sparse atmosphere provides minimal protection from meteorite, asteroid, and comet impacts.

 Mars experiences temperatures ranging from approximately -225 degrees Fahrenheit (-153 degrees Celsius) to as high as 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius). The thin atmosphere allows heat to escape, causing stark temperature variations – standing at the equator at noon would feel like spring at the feet (75 degrees Fahrenheit or 24 degrees Celsius) and winter at the head (32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius).

Periodically, strong winds on Mars generate dust storms that can envelop the entire planet, taking months for the settled dust.

Climate :

Mars experiences seasons similar to Earth, with alternating patterns between its northern and southern hemispheres. However, due to its large eccentric orbit in comparison to Earth’s, the seasons on Mars can be more extreme. Summers in the southern hemisphere can be significantly warmer than in the north, with temperatures reaching up to 30 °C (54 °F) higher.

The temperature on Mars experiences considerable variation, ranging from a frigid −110°C (−166°F) to a warm 35°C (95°F) during the summer months at the equator. These drastic temperature changes are due to factors such as the thin atmosphere, low atmospheric pressure, and the low thermal inertia of the Martian soil. Additionally, Mars is 1.52 times farther from the Sun than Earth, receiving only 43% of the sunlight.

Mars is known for its massive dust storms, which can reach speeds of over 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), making them some of the largest in the solar system. These storms can range from local to planet-wide and tend to occur when Mars is closest to the Sun, contributing to an increase in global temperature. Furthermore, seasonal changes result in the formation of dry ice covering the polar ice caps.

As seen in the images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, Mars experiences significant variations in visible water ice cloud covers and CO2 ice coverage on its poles between northern and southern summers. These observations highlight the dynamic and diverse climatic conditions present on the Red Planet.

Internal structure :

NASA’s InSight lander has been diligently exploring the depths of Mars since its arrival near the planet’s equator in November 2018. By closely monitoring Marsquakes and fluctuations in Mars’ tilt, the mission team has gained valuable insights into the planet’s internal structure. 

Current estimates indicate that the diameter of Mars’ core ranges from 1,780 to 2,080 kilometers, while the average thickness of its crust is between 24 and 72 kilometers. Additionally, the remaining non-atmospheric mass of Mars is primarily composed of the mantle.

In comparison, Earth’s core is approximately 4,400 miles (7,100 km) wide, and its mantle is about 1,800 miles (2,900 km) thick. Additionally, Earth’s crust, consisting of continental and oceanic types, has average thicknesses of around 25 miles (40 km) and 5 miles (8 km), respectively.

Orbit and Rotation :

The time it takes  Mars to orbit the Sun is roughly the same as an Earth day: 24.6 hours compared to 23.9 hours. A single day on Mars is referred to as a “sol,” which denotes a “solar day.” The duration of a Martian year is 669.6 sols, which corresponds to 687 days on Earth.

Mars’ axis of rotation is tilted 25 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the Sun, similar to Earth’s 23.4 degree axial tilt. Like Earth, Mars has distinct seasons, but due to its longer orbit around the Sun (greater distance), each season on Mars lasts longer than  on Earth.

Additionally, unlike the evenly distributed seasons throughout the Earth year, Mars’ elliptical orbit results in variations in the length of  the seasons. For example, on Mars, northern spring (southern autumn) is the longest season, lasting 194 sols.

Conversely, northern autumn (southern spring) is the shortest at 142 sols. Northern winter and southern summer last 154 sols, while northern summer and southern winter last 178 sols.

Chemical composition :

Mars probably has a solid core made of iron, nickel, and sulfur. The mantle of Mars is believed to be similar to Earth’s, primarily composed of peridotite, which consists mainly of silicon, oxygen, iron, and magnesium.

It is probable that the crust is predominantly made of basalt, a volcanic rock common in the crusts of Earth and the moon. However, some crustal rocks, especially in the northern hemisphere, may be a form of andesite, a volcanic rock with higher silica content than basalt.

Mars Moons :

Mars boasts a pair of moons: an inner moon named Phobos and a smaller outer moon named Deimos. These irregularly shaped, rocky satellites may have originally been asteroids captured by the planet’s gravitational pull.

Phobos is slowly approaching Mars and is expected to impact the Martian surface within about 50 million years. In contrast, Deimos appears smoother than Phobos, with its craters filled with loose dirt known as regolith.

Missions to Mars :

Mars, our close celestial neighbor, has been the focus of numerous space missions over the years. Since 1960, roughly 50 missions have been launched towards the Red Planet, with only about half of them achieving success. Let’s explore some of the most notable missions in Mars exploration history.

In 1971, NASA’s Mariner 9 made history by entering Mars orbit and becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It extensively mapped 85% of the Martian surface and transmitted over 7,000 images back to Earth.

That same year, the Soviet Union’s Mars 2 became the first man-made object to reach the Martian surface. Regrettably, due to the spacecraft’s high approach speed, the descent system malfunctioned, leading to a crash landing.

In 1976, NASA’s Viking 1 became the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars and operated on the planet until 1982, sending back more than 57,000 images.

Moving ahead to 1997, NASA’s Sojourner, as part of the Pathfinder mission, made history as the first rover to operate on another planet. It functioned for 83 sols, conducting scientific measurements and capturing images.

In 2004, NASA’s twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, arrived on Mars to study the planet’s climatic history and investigate evidence of past water activity. Despite their initial 90-day mission timeline, both rovers exceeded expectations by operating for many years, until 2010 and 2018, respectively.

Fast forward to 2012, when NASA’s rover Curiosity landed at the Gale crater on Mars and conducted extensive investigations of the Martian climate and geology. It revealed that Mars once had conditions favorable for microbial life and remains operational as of 2021, with over three thousand sols.

In 2021, China successfully landed its first spacecraft on Mars, the Zhurong rover, as part of the Tianwen-1 mission, marking the first non-NASA spacecraft to operate on Mars.

Also in 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover made history by landing on the Red Planet, accompanied by the Ingenuity helicopter. On April 19, 2021, Ingenuity achieved the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet.

It’s truly fascinating to witness the progress and achievements in humanity’s exploration of Mars.

Planetary data for Mars :

Future human missions :

In a recent workshop, a group of scientists from various sectors, including government agencies, academia, and industry concluded that a NASA-led manned mission to Mars should be achievable by the 2030s. Notably, President Donald Trump’s administration in a 2017 directive called on NASA to prioritize sending humans  to the Moon over a mission to Mars.

This goal is being pursued through the Artemis program, with the aim of establishing a sustainable human presence on and around the moon by the late 2020s. NASA officials have emphasized that the knowledge gained from the lunar missions will be instrumental in preparing for human exploration of Mars.

While robotic missions to Mars have achieved significant success, the challenge of sending humans to the Red Planet persists. Current rocket technology would require at least six months for a crew to reach Mars, subjecting them to extended exposure to deep-space radiation and microgravity, which has detrimental effects on the human body.

 Furthermore, adjusting to performing tasks in the moderate gravity of Mars after an extended period in microgravity poses considerable difficulties. Research into the effects of microgravity on the International Space Station continues.

It’s worth noting that NASA is not the only entity with ambitions of sending humans to Mars, as other nations like China and Russia have also announced their intentions to do so. Additionally, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has long emphasized that the company’s primary goal in founding it in 2002 was to aid in the human colonization of Mars.

SpaceX is currently in the process of developing and testing a fully reusable deep-space transportation system named Starship, which Musk believes will be the breakthrough needed to finally transport humans to Mars.

Conclusion :

As we continue to unravel the mysteries of Mars, it becomes clear that this fascinating planet holds the keys to understanding our past and future. From its impressive geological formations to the possibility of life, Mars continues to captivate the imagination of scientists and explorers. While challenges remain for human exploration, each discovery brings us one step closer to making Mars more than just a research site but potentially a new frontier for humanity.