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Mars

MARS

Mythology – ARES : The God of War

Nickname – The Red Planet

Statistics1. Distance – 1.5 AU from

the Sun

2. Size = ½ the Diameter of Earth

3. Orbital Period= 1.9 Years

4. Rotation= 24.6 hours

5. Gravity=.4 of Earth

Atmosphere

CO2 and H20 frozen in caps Less greenhouse gases

Planet is COLD

Icehouse effectMars currently has “ice caps” on its poles

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Exploration Rovers

Spirit and Opportunity

The Spirit and Opportunity rovers were named through a student essay competition.

I used to live in an orphanage. It was dark and cold and lonely. At night, I looked up at the sparkly sky and felt better. I dreamed I could fly there. In America, I can make all my dreams come true. Thank you for the 'Spirit' and the 'Opportunity.'— Sofi Collis, age 9

Dates:

Launch – 2003 Arrival – January 2004 Dust Storm – 2007 Stuck in the Mud - 2009

About

Mission – To search for and characterize a wide range of rock and

soil to explore for water (or past water) on mars

Surface Features

Mars SurfaceTharsis

Volcanoes

Souhern Highlands

Valles Marineris

Northern Lowlands

Southern Ice Cap

Clouds

Mars Surface

Tharsis Volcanoes

Olympus Mons

Southern Highlands

Valles Marineris

Hellas

Northern Lowlands

Mars is divided in halfSouthern Highlands – Very old and cratered

Northern Lowlands – Young with very few craters

Ice Caps

Composed of mostly frozen CO2

Some water

Southern Ice Cap

Olympus

Largest Volcano in the Solar System

3x taller than the Earths Tallest Volcano

Valles Marineras

Longest Canyon in the Solar System

As big as the United States

Very Dry

Many Sand Dunes and Rock Fields

Dust Storms that can cover the entire planet

Thin water vapor clouds

How to set up your blank page

Three Sections: Missions, Moons and Faces

Spirit and Opportunity

Mis

Mission Objectives: Search of Evidence of Past Water on Mars

Spirit

Info Landing Sight – Gustev

Crater

Chosen because it appeared to once have a river flowing into

Searching for – evidence of water to confirm that it was a lake

Opportunity

Landing site – Endurance Crater

Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity

Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity

Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity

Accomplishments

Found Sedimentary Rock (rock that forms at the bottom of lakes, rivers and seas)

Found Hematite (a mineral that only forms in water)

Exploration Rovers: Spirit and OpportunitySedimentary rock

Exploration Rovers: Spirit and OpportunityHematite

Exploration Rovers: Spirit and OpportunityHematite

Hematite crystals are the little “blue berries” in the image

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Other missions to Mars

Evidence for water

Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Dried lake and river beds Ancient shorelines Underground permafrost

Mars

River Channels

MarsOld

Shorelines

MarsSedimentary

rock

MarsCurrent surface water

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Moons

Mars Moons:Phobos and Deimos

2 moons; Captured asteroids

Mars The Face:Viking Orbiter images.1970’s poor resolution

Mars The Face:Mars Global Surveyor Images.

2000 high resolution

Mars Smiley Faces:

Mars Other Faces:

Hearts

Mars A Frog:

MarsMars Global Surveyor

Images.We can even see the rovers

on the Surface

Mars Global Surveyor

Mars Global Surveyor

Mars Global Surveyor

Caves

Mars Sunset on Mars