Planet Mars
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
57 likes•51,649 views
Learn more about Planet Mars! Check out its characteristics, geological features, facts & figures, exploration efforts, and more.
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to Planet Mars
Similar to Planet Mars (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Planet Mars
- 1. A Report in Natural Science I PLANET MARS Presented by: Sheila Miranda BSE-I
- 2. TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED • Basics • Orbit • Topography • Climate • Water • Geological Periods • Atmosphere • Interior • The 2 Moons of Mars • Missions to Mars
- 3. BASICS • Fourth planet from the sun. • Named after the Roman God of Wars • Called the “RED PLANET” because of the iron oxide (rust) in the surface. • Earth is 9x bigger than Mars • Apparent Magnitude: -3.0 to 1.6
- 4. ORBIT OF MARS • Mars is 230 million km away from the sun. • Mars’ solar day (sol) = 24 hours and 39 minutes • Mars revolution = 687 earth days
- 6. MOONS OF MARS • discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall • origin is possibly asteroid capture. • named after Greek mythology characters Panic and Dread • no total solar eclipses in Mars ; total lunar eclipses happen every night
- 7. ATMOSPHERE • Consists of 95% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen, 1.6% argon and traces of oxygen and water • No magnetosphere • Extremely thin atmosphere
- 8. INTERIOR • Core – consists of iron + sulfur, partially fluid • Mantle – silicate • Crust – 50-125 km thick
- 9. TOPOGRAPHY Olympus Mons - Highest mountain in the solar system (27km height) Valles Marineris - Largest known canyon in the solar system (4000km long)
- 10. TOPOGRAPHY Borealis Basin - (northern hemisphere) covers 40% of the planet
- 11. TOPOGRAPHY Sinus Meridiani - Mars’ Prime Meridian Hellas Impact Basin - Biggest impact crater in Mars
- 12. WATER IN MARS Water was speculated to be once present in Mars, but today, water cannot exist due to low atmospheric pressure (except in low areas).
- 13. WATER IN MARS Signs of water once existing in the planet include: • Its two permanent polar ice caps seem to be made of water. • Geographical features that show water run-off or erosion. • Detection of specific minerals that are only present in water.
- 14. CLIMATE
- 15. CLIMATE • Largest dust storm in the solar system • Mars seasons are most Earth-like among all planets in the solar system • Temperature: -87˚C (winter) to -5˚C (summer)
- 16. GEOLOGICAL PERIODS Noachian Period • named after Noachis Terra • 4.5 – 3.5 billion years ago • oldest surfaces of Mars were created in this period, like the Tharsis bulge Hesperian Period • named after Hesperia Planum • 3.5 to 2.9 billion years ago • marked by the formation of extensive lava plains Amazonian Period • named after Amazonis Planetia • 2.9 billion years ago to present • Olympus Mons formed during this period
- 17. EXPLORATION Active Martian probes as of 2011: • Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2006) • Mars Express (2003) • Mars Odyssey (2001) • Opportunity Rover (2004)
- 18. EXPLORATION Past Missions: • Mariner 4 • Mars 2 and 3 • Viking Program • Mars Pathfinder • Sojourner • Phoenix Mars Future Missions: • Curiosity (2011) • ExoMars (2018)
- 19. MAN ON MARS?
- 20. Q U E S T I O N S ?