Mars is the fourth planet, counting from the Sun. It has an atmosphere, but it is rarefied, its composition is mainly carbon dioxide. Sometimes it can be called the “ red planet ”, because... it appears reddish, a tint caused by the mineral maghemite.
The smallest distance from the Earth to this planet, when it is close to us, is 55.76 million km, and the largest is 401 million km. We know quite a lot about her, because... surveillance has been going on for a long time. Many believe that a civilization once existed on its surface, although this fact has not been proven by scientists.
We present to you a list of the 10 most interesting facts about the planet Mars for children and 4th grade students. Amazing discoveries of modern scientists.
A canyon that is significantly larger than the Grand Canyon in the USA
has been discovered on Mars called Valles Marineris . It was seen by the Mariner 9 apparatus in 1971-1972.
This system of canyons is ten times longer than the Grand Canyon, seven times wider, and the same number of times deep, and is considered the largest that exists on the planets of our system. Its length is 4500 km, its width is 200 km, and it goes 11 km deep.
It is difficult to say exactly how these canyons were formed. But scientists are confident that they appeared in the early stages of the formation of the planet, but over time their width increased due to erosion. Some believe that this is the result of a meteorite fall or a consequence of the eruption of giant volcanoes located near the valley.
Mars exploration and missions - explained for children
Explorations of the Red Planet began with routine searches in the sky. Galileo Galilei was the first to observe Mars through a telescope. Centuries after it, ice caps were discovered. In the 19th and 20th centuries, scientists thought that they had seen a network of long, straight canals on the planet, which they perceived as a sign of the presence of an advanced civilization. Although it later turned out that they had misunderstood the dark areas.
Then space launches began. Robotic spacecraft began observing the planet in the 1960s. The United States launched Mariner 4 in 1964 and Mariner 6 and 7 in 1969. They showed that Mars is a lifeless world without any of the civilizations that earthlings have fantasized about for so long. In 1971, Mariner 9 orbited the planet, creating a map of Mars covering 80% of the planet's area, allowing it to locate volcanoes and canyons.
Pathfinder rover on the surface of the Red Planet
NASA's Viking 1 landed in 1976 (the first successful landing). He was able to take large-scale photographs of the surface, but again no evidence of life was found.
The next successful missions were the Mars Pathfinder rover and the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, launched in 1996. On board the device was a small robot, Sojourner. It became the first wheeled rover on another planet to analyze rocks.
In 2001, the US sent the Odyssey probe, which discovered a huge amount of water ice below the surface (1 m). But it is not yet clear whether there is water deeper, since the probe cannot penetrate there.
In 2003, Mars came to its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years. NASA sent two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which discovered signs of ancient water. In 2008, NASA sent the Phoenix mission to the northern plains to find water.
The performance of the devices is monitored by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and ESA's Mars Express satellites. In 2011, they were joined by the Mars Science Laboratory with the Curiosity rover, which examined Martian rocks. It was he who managed to find the first meteorite on the surface.
In September 2014, an Indian mission appeared in orbit. After this, India became the fourth country that managed to stay in Martian orbit.
But robots are not the only ones who want to visit Mars. NASA plans to launch a human mission in the 2030s. But they are not going to stop with astronauts and plan to send ordinary earthlings, creating a real colony.
Large temperature fluctuations
The average temperature on this planet is very low - 63°C. Its daily fluctuations are quite high, because the atmosphere is very rarefied , and it cannot smooth them out. In summer the air warms up to +20°C, at the equator – up to +27°C, the maximum record is +35°C. That is, a person would be quite comfortable there. But in winter the temperatures are incredibly low. Even at the equator it is -80, -125°C, and at the poles it drops to -143°C.
The climate of Mars - an explanation for children
Mars is much cooler than Earth because it is further from the Sun. The average temperature reaches -60°C. Although it can drop to -125°C near the poles in winter and rise to 20°C at midday near the equator.
The hydrogen dioxide-rich atmosphere is about 100 times less dense than Earth's. But it is enough to support the weather, winds and clouds. Density may vary depending on the seasons (winter freezes carbon dioxide).
Dust storm on Mars' polar cap
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was the first to spot carbon dioxide snow clouds. This made Mars the only planet in the solar system to produce unusual winter weather. Water ice also falls from the clouds.
Children should not forget about the largest dust storms in the solar system, which can cover the entire red planet and not disappear for months. Why are they so huge? According to one theory, dust particles enter the Martian air, which absorb sunlight and create warming around them. Warm currents are directed to colder regions, forming winds. They gain strength and raise even more dust, which also heats the atmosphere and the process repeats in a circle.
Mars has 2 satellites
This planet has two satellites . The name of the first is “ Phobos ”, translated from Greek as “fear”, and the name of the second is “ Deimos ”, as “horror”, they were taken from Homer’s work “Iliad”. They rotate not only around Mars, but also around their own axis.
For a long time, scientists tried to find these satellites, but to no avail, until this discovery was made by Asaph Hall, who discovered them in August 1877. Scientists now know that they are made of rocks. On the surface there is a layer of regolith.
Deimos is the outer satellite, Phobos is the inner one, closer to Mars and larger. Phobos appears in the west and sets in the east of the planet, while Deimos, on the contrary, rises in the east and sets in the west.
They are bright enough, thanks to them, objects on the surface of Mars cast shadows. There is a version that these are former asteroids that remained near the planet. According to another hypothesis, Mars had 1 satellite, which broke up into 2.
Characteristics of the orbit of Mars - explanation for children
Like the Earth, Mars' axis is tilted relative to the position of the Sun. That is, parents should explain to children that the amount of sunlight falls in different volumes, which creates the seasons.
But Martian seasons are extreme because the planet's elliptical oval orbit is more elongated than other large objects. When Mars comes closest to the Sun, its southern hemisphere tilts toward the star, creating a short but very hot summer. At this time, the northern hemisphere experiences the same short but cold winter. When Mars moves away, the duration of winter and summer increases, but the frost and heat become milder.
Don't forget that Mars doesn't spin alone. Next to it is the Earth, as well as Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. If you observe in the sky using a telescope online, you can also notice bright Venus and Mercury. Of course, Mars is most often studied in the context of comparison with planet Earth, because we consider an alien world as the site of a future colony and a possible home. In-depth exploration of Mars shows that water was once present on the surface and may be hidden in glaciers and beneath the surface.
Many dry river beds
Experts have long believed that there is water on Mars. But subsequent study showed that most of it (70%) cannot have water, as we are used to seeing it, because... there is low atmospheric pressure. But it was discovered in the form of ice.
However, in the distant past, most likely, water covered a significant part of the planet . There are geological formations here that look like river beds. They could also be formed as a result of disasters, and are not necessarily the remains of river systems. But recent research suggests that rivers could flow on Mars for large periods of time.
Physical parameters of Mars
Mars is approximately half the size of Earth, with an average radius of approximately 3390 km (Earth has 6370 km). Because of this, gravity is also much less - only 38% of Earth's. Such gravity will seem more comfortable to a person, since the feeling of one’s own weight will decrease by 62%.
Like all the planets in our Galaxy, Mars revolves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit. A more elongated shape compared to the Earth's orbit moves Mars further away from the Sun, which affects several parameters of the planet. First, the length of the Martian year is approximately twice that of the Earth year (668 Martian days versus 365 Earth days), despite the fact that the average length of the day of both planets is almost the same. Secondly, on Mars there are large temperature fluctuations throughout the year: from +20 to -120°.
Its great distance from the Sun makes Mars a predominantly cold planet. The average temperature is approximately -60°, which is why there is no liquid water on the surface, but there are large deposits of ice. Scientists hope that liquid water still exists, but is located deep in the crevices.
Tallest mountain in the solar system
Mount Olympus is located on this planet. It is the largest mountain known to us. This is an extinct volcano. The name was coined in honor of Mount Olympus, where the Olympian gods supposedly lived. Its height is 26 km, which is two and a half times higher than the tallest volcano on Earth, whose height does not exceed 10.2 km.
It has steep slopes along the edges, reaching a height of up to 7 km. The mountain was formed due to lava flows that solidified on the surface; its diameter is 540 km. Around it there are many other volcanoes, also of enormous size, but they are inferior to Olympus.
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He has 2 satellites. Unlike the Earth satellite, the satellites of Mars are much smaller and have a deformed shape. They were named after the twin brothers Phobos and Deimos from Greek mythology. Phobos was a deity in Greek mythology who personified fear. Deimos personified horror. Both were sons of Ares (and therefore Mars) and Aphrodite. Phobos is believed to have a fairly short lifespan. According to scientists, in about 30-50 million years it will break apart or collide with Mars. If you look at Phobos from the surface of the Red Planet, it will be 3 times larger than our Moon.
More than 100,000 people applied for one-way flights
Once upon a time there was a Mars One project. Its organizers wanted to fly to Mars and then broadcast it all on television. Many scientists and specialists were not sure that this project would be possible to implement.
In 2013, they began to select future explorers of Mars . Anyone could apply as long as they were over 18 and under 65 years old. But educated, smart, healthy people have the advantage. Submitting an application is free, but to confirm the seriousness of your intentions, you must also make a donation, the amount of which does not exceed $40.
Already in June 2013, there were 85 thousand people, in August - 100 thousand brave pioneers, and later 165 thousand wanted to take part in the project. Two legal organizations were responsible for the project, one of which went bankrupt at the beginning of 2022. Therefore, now he has no source of funding. Physicist Joseph Roche criticized the organization, and in a documentary filmed by our compatriots, Mars One was called a scam.
The Mars Rover Team and Why They're So Important
Mars is a fascinating planet. Over the years, we've sent four robotic rovers, or rovers, to learn more about Mars. Mars rovers are designed to help scientists in their search. Rovers have wheels and are specialized for movement. They land on the surface and circle around various points.
Mars is made up of many different types of rocks, and each rock is made up of a mixture of chemicals. The rover can drive around different areas, studying different chemicals in each rock. These chemicals can tell scientists about the environment that changed the stone over time.
To date, 4 rovers have visited Mars. And this is not counting artificial satellites.
- In the summer of 1997, Sojourner arrived on the surface of Mars. He was the first wheeled rover to visit the Red Planet. Unfortunately, due to the simplicity of the design, it only worked for a couple of months. However, he coped with the task.
- In January 2004, Spirit and Opportunity arrived on Mars one after the other, both were sent with the goal of finding water on Mars. Both of them worked much longer than expected of them. But Opportunity worked the most. Most recently, he gained fame as the most dedicated Mars rover, working from 2004 to 2022.
- In August 2012, Curiosity arrives, its goal is to search for life, sources of water and chemical elements. It is currently the largest and heaviest rover on Mars.
Starting in 2022, the team of rovers will be replenished with two autonomous rovers.
- The Franklin rover, also known as ExoMars, is scheduled to launch in July 2022. The goal is to search for a former or currently existing life.
- The Mars 2020 rover is expected to launch in August 2022. Its tasks will also include searching for signs of life and assessing the danger of Martian dust.
Mars is the popular and most studied planet. Interest in it arose in the Middle Ages and has not faded to this day. Exploring other worlds is one of the most interesting topics for little researchers. Did you guys learn some amazing facts today? We hope you enjoyed it! Do you know other interesting details about the planet? Share them with us in the comments!
You can't survive on Mars without a spacesuit
It will not be possible to exist on Mars without a spacesuit , because... There's a thin atmosphere here. The water here boils at a temperature of +0.5 °C, and the human temperature is much higher. This will cause poor circulation, which will be very painful and life-threatening.
There is almost no oxygen in the planet's atmosphere, i.e. there will be nothing to breathe. And it is very cold on the surface of the planet, we have already written about this. Solar radiation will also be destructive, because The atmosphere is not able to protect against ultraviolet radiation; it will destroy any earthly life.
General information about Mars
In our solar system, Mars ranks fourth in terms of distance from the Sun, and seventh in terms of its dimensions. This is the closest planet to us. Its approximate age is 4.5 billion years, like other planets in our Galaxy.
The planet got its name due to its bright red color. In Ancient Greece and Rome, the color red was associated with blood and war, so the name was given in honor of the god of war - Mars. Upon closer inspection, the surface color of Mars is more orange than red. This shade occurs due to the high content of iron oxide. Scientists suggest that contact with oxygen led to the oxidation of iron, and strong dust storms over time spread rusty particles across the entire surface.
Planet Mars brief description
Mars is the planet most similar to Earth
They have a lot in common. They can be classified as terrestrial planets, our planet is 3rd from the star, and Mars is 4th . The “red planet” has an atmosphere, although it is thin. It also has a magnetic field, like on Earth, and there are aurora borealis.
We have the same length of day, the difference is small: Earth - 24 hours, Mars - 24 hours 37 minutes. The angle of inclination of the axis is also similar, there is almost no difference: on our planet it is 23.45°, on Mars it is 25.2°, which is why there are seasons there too. Like on Earth, there was volcanic activity here.
Questions and answers:
How big is the surface of Mars? — Its size is equal to the area of all the continents of the Earth taken together.
Mars is the farthest rocky planet from the Sun. It's very cold there - so why is there no ice on the planet? — There is ice on Mars. But this is not water, but “dry ice” - carbon dioxide that we exhale. But there is very little water, H2O, on the surface. All of it is hidden underground at the poles of Mars. In addition, fragments of ice rocks “travel” through the valleys and craters of the planet.
What's the youngest thing on Mars? “Every year the wind creates new patterns on the dusty surface of the planet. The seasonal cycle of freezing and thawing leaves behind much more unusual traces: round depressions, pyramids and even polygons of cracks, reminiscent of a map of city blocks. Landslides often occur on steep slopes of canyons and craters. There are also often ravines and hollows that seem to be washed out by water. While walking on Mars, you can also come across scatterings of small mounds. These are either the remains of stones thrown out by volcanoes, or hummocks of ice and mud. They are too small to be drawn on a map.
Pyramids and the “face” on Mars
Where do lava flows come from? — They flow from the tops (vents) of volcanoes or from deep cracks.
What is "sol"? — Sol is the name of the solar day on Mars. They last a little more than a day on Earth - 24 hours 39 minutes 35.2 seconds. A year on the planet is long—it takes 669 and a half sols to complete a revolution around the Sun.
Why are there black dots on the Martian dunes? — The dunes on the planet consist of black volcanic sand, which is covered with white frost in winter. In the spring, when the white cover evaporates, black sand gradually appears from under it. And since the melting occurs unevenly, the sand emerging through the frost looks like a scattering of black dots from above.
Where do the winding valleys on Mars come from? “Most likely, they were washed out by rivers or spring meltwater streams.
Where do canals come from on Mars? “These are cracks in the planet’s crust from which lava erupted. Channels could also be formed due to the movement of lithospheric plates. Here on Earth, this movement causes earthquakes.
What is a ridge? - This is a winding rock ridge on the surface of the planet. Ridges form when processes within a planet push plates of the planet's crust against each other, causing their rocks to pile on top of each other. Ridges are often associated with volcanic flows.
What is a "dust devil"? “This is a small vortex that moves along the surface of the planet, collecting light dust from it.
Dust devil on Mars
What do the flower-shaped icons on the map mean? “ This is a meteorite crater with sediment left over from the time the crater was formed. On Mars, fragments scattered from a meteorite impact may contain water. Mud from the water spreads around the crater, forming structures that resemble flowers from a bird's eye view.
Why is Mars red? — Red places on the planet are covered with tiny dust that settles from the air. The color of dust is given by rust - it contains many rusted iron particles. Dark places on the planet are filled with fresh volcanic sand, which is also red - but not as bright as in dusty areas. Bright places on Mars appear in winter - then the surface is shrouded in fog and frost. The polar caps of the planet, consisting of eternal ice, always remain white.
Is there air on Mars? — Yes, the planet has an atmosphere, but it is very rarefied compared to the atmosphere of our Earth. Nevertheless, the wind blows there - its strength is enough to carry sand and destroy rocks. Sometimes real sandstorms rage on Mars! Small clouds of dust and water vapor sometimes form.
Clouds on Mars
What are those black things you see in some of the craters? — These are dunes made of sand that was poured into the crater.
Do aliens live on Mars? — So far, no living creatures or traces of any life at all have been found on Mars.
Were the solar panels on the Phoenix probe broken by the Martians? — The solar panels were still working when the probe last communicated with Earth. They broke after the first winter - we managed to find out with the help of satellite images. Most likely, during the cold weather, so much frost settled on the solar panels that they could not bear the full weight and collapsed.
Why are the northern and southern parts of Mars colored differently on the map? — The color on the map indicates the unevenness of the planet’s surface. In the north there are low plains, and in the south there are hills densely strewn with craters.
Where did the spiders come from at the South Pole of Mars? — “Spiders” are systems of dark cracks on the surface of the planet that diverge from one common center. They appear in the spring, during the melting of “dry ice” at the poles. The black bedrock of Mars is then exposed. Since the ice at the pole is heated from the inside by the heat of the planet’s core, it can melt in winter, escaping from under the crust on the surface in columns of steam.
Spiders on Mars
What is cheese doing at the South Pole? — The icy surface of the pole is constantly evaporating, which is why it is very compressed. In some places this left round depressions, similar to holes in cheese. That's why these areas are called the Swiss Cheese Districts.
How did polygonal patterns appear on the northern plains of Mars? — The patterns are a network of broken cracks. They are formed during the freezing and thawing of the soil of Mars, when it cracks due to temperature changes.
Why are Martians green? — About 100 years ago, science fiction writers imagined that people with green skin lived on Mars, as opposed to the red surface of the planet. Although we now know that Martians do not exist, artists and filmmakers still depict aliens as green.
Where does sand and dust come from on Mars? “ They emerge from crushed rocks that are destroyed by wind, temperature changes, ice and water flows. The resulting sand will be played by the wind for millions of years - collecting it into heaps and dunes, and then scattering it back.
One of the Martian dunes
What are these white zones above and below Mars? — These are the polar ice caps. Their structure is similar to a cake - under a white cover their ice and dust alternate. The center of the ice cap will never melt, although entire valleys cut through it.
Where do camels come from on Mars? — There are two types of camels: one-humped and two-humped. Single-humped ones are found in the hot deserts of Africa, and double-humped ones are found in cold Asian deserts. It is the Bactrian camels that walk on the map: only they would be found on cold and dry Mars. But now there are no real camels on the planet.
Are there people on Mars? - Not yet. But it’s possible that they will be soon.
The first person to see Mars through a telescope was Galileo Galilei
Ancient Egyptian astronomers knew that Mars existed. But the first telescopic observations of the planet were made in 1610 by Galileo Galilei . Before this, only spyglasses existed.
In 1609 he created his first telescope. It was not very powerful, with a threefold increase, but in the same year he was able to improve his invention. And, although there were developments by other scientists, he is the discoverer.
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Structure of Mars
Scientists can only guess what the structure of Mars is based on data from orbiters, meteorite studies and experience studying other planets. There is reason to believe that Mars, like the Earth, has a three-layer structure:
- Core. Most likely, most of the core is iron, sulfur and nickel. Knowledge about the density of the planet and the strength of the magnetic field allows us to think that the core of Mars is solid and significantly smaller than the Earth’s, approximately 2000 km.
- The mantle is similar in composition to the Earth's. It may contain radioactive elements such as uranium, thorium and potassium. Their decay heats the mantle up to 1500°.
- The crust of Mars is heterogeneous in thickness: the layer increases from the northern hemisphere to the southern. It mainly consists of volcanic basalt.
Comparison of the structure of Mars and other terrestrial planets
Mars exploration
Since the early 60s of the twentieth century, the era of research into the mysterious planet from orbiting artificial satellites and automatic interplanetary stations (AMS) began. More than 40 spacecraft and rovers were launched to the Red Planet during this period.
In 2015, the planet is being explored by several orbital spacecraft and 2 rovers operating on the surface.
The mysteries of the planet and many secrets associated with it become an incentive for scientific research and the most fantastic assumptions. Is there life on the Red Planet? Scientists cannot yet answer for sure. The search for life continues.
NASA and the European Space Agency are working on preparing programs related to landing humans on Mars.
This is planned for 2035. If this message was useful to you, I would be glad to see you in the VKontakte group. Also, thank you if you click on one of the “like” buttons:
Atmosphere
thin compared to the Earth about 110 km thick. Its main components are carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon gas. On Mars, the atmospheric pressure is 160 times less than on Earth, and the radiation is significantly higher than on Earth.
A characteristic feature of the Martian atmosphere is the movement of atmospheric masses from one hemisphere to another. In this case, strong winds with speeds of up to 100 m/s. They raise a lot of dust from the surface, contributing to the occurrence of dust storms and dust devils. Such storms can last for several weeks or even months, completely obscuring the surface.
Interesting Facts
The second name for Mars is “red planet”. It is so called because it is mainly composed of iron, which oxidizes when in contact with oxygen, which means it rusts. Strong storms spread rust particles over the entire surface, giving it an orange-red color.
The planet got its name due to the red color of its surface. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, the color red was a symbol of war, and they called the god of war Mars.
The names of the moons of Mars were also given in accordance with Greek and Roman mythology. Phobos and Deimos are the sons of the god Mars.
Surprisingly, the sky on Mars looks completely different. During the day it appears slightly reddish, but during sunrise or sunset the sun is illuminated in blue, but for us it’s the other way around. This occurs due to the absence of an atmosphere: light rays in such conditions are refracted in a special way.
