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Mars

Easily observed characteristics -

________

Seasonal surface variations

Different surface markings

An atmosphere

Length of day = ________________

Tilt = _______ degrees

Martians!!!!

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But seriously, what is Mars really like?

To find out you must explore it.

1976 - Viking I, II – orbiter, lander

1997 - Pathfinder lander and the Sojourner rover

2001 - Mars Odyssey - orbiter

2003 – Mars Express - orbiter

2004 - Opportunity – Spirit - rovers

2006 – Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

2008 – Phoenix – lander 2012 – Curiosity - rover

Seven Minutes of Terror – Explained What really happened

2013 – Mars Orbiter Mission 2013 - MAVEN

Weather on Mars

Depends upon __________________________

Mars’ _________ effects the weather

Early June Late July Late September

Near ______________ -

Summer in the Southern Hemisphere

Large day-night temperature variations

Winds Global dust storms

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Atmospheric Characteristics

Composition

95% __________

3 % ___________

0.15% __________

0.03% ___________

Pressure is _______ Earth’s

The temperature like Antarctica, with some extremes.

Fogs, clouds

No liquid water on the surface – only gas or solid water

Internal Structure Lower density than the Earth

Magnetic field is ______________________________.

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Mars Surface Features

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Craters

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Happy Face

Crater

Polar

Ice Caps

Water Ice

Carbon Dioxide Ice

Tharsis Bulge

Vallis Marineris Region

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Tharsis Bulge - Volcanos

2-3 times taller

than Earth

Volcanos

Olympus Mons

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Valles Marineris

A rift (a crack) - not a water (erosion) feature

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Images from Mars

River deltas? How can this be?????

Surface

Studies

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2004 Rover Images

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Current Scientific Results

Water present today (ice)

More Earth-like in the past (liquid water)

Rocks - many volcanic in origin

Other rocks are sedimentary

No evidence for life

…yet

The Moons of Mars

Discovered by

Asaph Hall in

1877

Most likely

captured

asteroids

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Deimos “Panic”

Phobos “Fear”