Lesson 4- Mars
Chapter 4
- Geography/Climate
- dry
- rocky
- cold
- home to the largest volcano in the solar system
- people have wondered if there is life on Mars because it is one of the closest planets to Earth
- scientists found an old meteorite near Earth's South Pole and decided it came from Mars
- meteorite had little shapes carved into it that might have been fossils
- the GAC (German Aerospace Center) has discovered that Earth lichens can survive in simulated Mars conditions
- conditions were based off of temperatures, atmospheric pressure, minerals, and light on data from Mars probes
- REMS instrumentÂ
- designed to provide new clues about Mars such as:
- general circulation
- microscale weather systems
- local hydrological cycle
- destructive potential of UV radiation
- subsurface habitability
- landed on Mars as part of the Curiosity space flight (MSL)
- August 2012
- possibility of there being pieces of Earth on Mars
- if a giant meteorite hit Earth, the force might be enough to send pieces of earth into space
- it would take along a lot of cells and bacteria, which are living things
- Two moons
- Phobos
- Deimos
- has undergone differentiation resulting in:
- dense, metallic core
- consists primarily of iron, nickle, and about 16-17% sulphur
- partially fluid
- twice the concentration of the materials in Earth's core
- surrounded by a silicate mantle that formed the tectonic and volcanic features on planet (now appears to be dormant)
- overlaid by less dense materials
- iron
- magnesium
- aluminium
- calcium
- potassium
- average thickness of crust is about 50 km with a maximum of 125 km
- Etymology/History
- named after the Roman god Mars
- god of war
- named because red is the color of blood
- 4th planet from the Sun
- Last planet in the Inner Solar System
