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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

Near ______________ -
Summer in the Southern Hemisphere
Large day-night temperature variations
Winds  Global dust storms

Early June Late July Late September

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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”

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