Since the first expeditions successfully landed on the Red Planet at the end of the 20th century, we have gradually managed to unravel many of the mysteries of Mars. Thanks to technological progress, we are learning more and more about this exciting planet.
Here are the most interesting facts about the red planet that will surely open up something new for you.
Mars has two very different hemispheres
One of the most interesting characteristics of Mars is the strong differences between the surfaces of the northern and southern hemispheres.
The northern hemisphere is made up of low-lying plains that make the planet's topography look youthful, while the southern hemisphere is riddled with craters, canyons and looks rough and ancient.
In addition, the surface in the southern part is thicker than in the north. These differences still cause a lot of controversy among specialists, and no one can explain the reason for such a difference in relief.
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Snow on Mars will evaporate before it reaches the surface
If a person could stand on the equator of Mars, he would feel that the lower part of his body is in a hot climate, and the upper one in a cold one. While the feet are heated at a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, the head is cool, because at this altitude the temperature is 0 degrees. Unsurprisingly, snow has no chance.
Mars looks reddish due to rusty dust in the atmosphere
The surface of Mars contains a lot of iron. These minerals oxidize or corrode, forming dust that enters the atmosphere, giving the planet a reddish tint not only up close but also from afar.
Mars is a terrestrial planet
Just like Earth, Venus and Mercury are the inner planets of the solar system.
Mars has a rocky surface and an iron core. Unlike the outer planets such as Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn, which are made of gases, the terrestrial planets have solid surfaces. They all have a similar structure - core, mantle and crust. However, the thickness of each layer varies from planet to planet.
The planet is dotted with deep craters
There are several large craters on the surface of the red planet, the largest of which is the North Polar one, which occupies about 40% of the entire planet's surface. Scientists believe that the crater could have formed as a result of a collision with a space body the size of Pluto. This could have happened at an early stage in the formation of the solar system.
There is very low pressure on the surface of Mars
If you decide to walk on Mars without a spacesuit, be prepared for the consequences. The atmospheric pressure of Mars is one hundred times lower than on Earth! This pressure causes almost any liquid, at least half of water, to boil and evaporate. The same fate awaits the blood of a person who entered the atmosphere of Mars without a spacesuit.
There is water on Mars
Exploration missions to Mars are focusing on finding evidence of life on the red planet. The bulk of the search is aimed at tracking down the presence of liquid water that makes life possible on Earth. Today it is known that there is water on Mars, although not quite in the form that is familiar to us. The Phoenix spacecraft has discovered a layer of ice hidden under a thin layer of soil in the polar region of Mars.
Mars may have had rivers and oceans in the past
Scientists believe that liquid water flowed long ago on the surface of Mars, and its traces remained on the surface and in the soil.
In 2013, scientists reported that the Curiosity rover had done soil analysis that provided actual evidence of past water on Mars.
This important discovery supports the hypothesis that Mars was habitable in the past.
The Mariner Valley is the longest and deepest canyon system in the solar system
This system of canyons can easily plug the Grand Canyon into the belt. The length of the Marineri canyon is 4 thousand kilometers, and the depth is four times that of the Grand Canyon.
Mars has a very thin atmosphere
You cannot breathe Martian air because carbon dioxide makes up 95.3% of the entire Martian atmosphere and oxygen is only 0.13%.
It never rains on Mars
On the surface of Mars, it is either very hot or very cold, so liquid water cannot exist there. It turns into either ice or steam.
But it snows on Mars
True, it is not quite similar to our earthly one. This is another fun and surprising fact about Mars - snowflakes there are made of carbon dioxide, not water. The snowflakes are so tiny that we would perceive them as fog.
Giant sandstorms rage on Mars
One sandstorm can cover the entire planet with dust and last for several months.
Want to weigh less? Onward to Mars
On the surface of Mars, you can jump three times higher than on Earth, unless you are wearing a heavy suit, of course. The surface gravity of Mars is about 37% less than that of Earth.
Nobody knows exactly who discovered Mars
The discovery of Mars cannot be accurately attributed to one person or culture.
There are suggestions that the ancient Egyptians discovered it in 1570 BC. e. However, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus is also often called the discoverer of Mars, since it was he who first observed it through a telescope.
Mars also has four seasons
Both Mars and Earth are tilted on their axis. The tilt of the Mars axis almost exactly matches the tilt of the Earth's axis, so Mars also has winter, spring, summer and autumn, although each of the seasons of the red planet lasts twice as long.
A year on Mars is almost twice as long as Earth
A sunny day on the red planet lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds, almost the same as on ours. A year on Mars, however, lasts almost twice as long - 687 days.
Mars has two moons
Mars has two moons - Phobos and Deimos. Like our Moon, they are in tidal capture and only show one side to Mars. These satellites are very small in size and are possibly asteroids.
The tallest volcano on Mars is three times the height of Everest
Mars' tallest volcano, called Olympus Mons, or Mount Olympus, is the tallest mountain in the entire solar system. It rises 25 kilometers above the surrounding plains. The foot of the volcano could cover the entire state of Arizona.
There are pieces of Mars on Earth
Despite the fact that not a single rover has returned from an expedition to the red planet, there are still pieces of Mars on Earth. How? Several meteorites discovered in Antarctica have broken away from Mars, since the composition of the stones is fully consistent with the Martian soil and atmosphere.
Missions to Mars cost a lot of money
This fact in itself will not surprise anyone. Of course, sending an expensive spacecraft to a neighboring planet cannot be a cheap pleasure. However, take a look at the numbers. At the price level of the 1970s, the Viking mission cost the United States about a billion dollars.
The budget of the Curiosity rover, one of the last Martian scientific laboratories, is almost unaffordable two and a half billion dollars. This is the most expensive space mission to date.
A flight to Mars and back will take over a year
If you are planning to become a member of an expedition to Mars, prepare for a long flight. It will take you approximately eight months to reach the surface of the red planet, and another eight to return home to Earth. This is not a transatlantic flight or a train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Traveling to Mars (56 million kilometers) at the speed of a car or train would take almost a lifetime - 66 years.
Hope Chikanchi