Valles Marinaris

Valles Marineris

Mars

• Early Earth-based observations showed canali on the surface of Mars.

» Canali means “water channel”.

Same as last slide

Sinuous Channels

Sinuous valleyEvidence of water flow

on Mars!

Mars Topography

Cratered Terrain

The Tharsis Volcanoes

Mars

Face on Mars?

Another Face on Mars?

Mars

•Has two moons: Phobos and Deimos

Mars• Two tiny moons, orbit close to Mars' surface.– These are probably asteroids captured by Mars

early in its history.

Two Moons!Look like captured asteroids.

Moons of Mars

Phobos

Deimos

Phobos

Deimos

Mars

• The Viking landers sent back close of views of a barren Martian surface.

1st Photo ever from Mars(1976 Viking Lander)

Viking

Viking

Mars Pathfinder

Mars Pathfinder

Famous Martian Rock

Mars• Mars has neither civilization nor fields of

plants, but microbial life forms still seem possible.

December of 1999

Life on Mars?

• In 1996, a team of U.S. scientists said they had discovered evidence of ancient, single-cell life on Mars…

• ...in remains from a meteorite that plunged to Earth 13,000 years ago.

Layer of rust dustHuge sand stormsvery little atmosphereVisited by Viking and Pathfinder missions

Life?

Martian Sunset

Martian Sunset from Pathfinder

Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres

PlanetMajor

Component Clouds?

Mercury None None

Venus CO2Sulfuric Acid

Earth N2H2O

Mars CO2 Ice (H2O and CO2)

End of inner planet Section.