Facts of Mars?
Mars is the second planet from the Sun and, like Earth, has a day-and-a-night cycle due to its elliptical orbit around the sun. The high temperatures on Mars make it unsuitable for terrestrial life as any liquid water would be boiling at 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more all year round! However, there are several large underground reservoirs of ice that could hypothetically harbor microbial life forms – something scientists continue to explore in search of evidence supporting possible Martian habitability . The carbon dioxide atmosphere of Mars makes up about 95% of its total mass and this gas traps heat because it dissipates slowly over time (much slower than our Atmosphere).
Mars has many features that differ from Earth- for example, the atmosphere is about 96% carbon dioxide, and the climate is much less hospitable to humans. Mars also has an ice cap at the poles that cover about two-thirds of the planet. Another difference is the size of the planet. Mars is about one-seventh the size of Earth and has only half of the Earth’s water.
One of the most interesting features about Mars is the presence of watery features on the planet’s surface. These features, called canals, have been discovered by orbiting spacecraft. They show that liquid water once flowed on the surface of Mars, and might have even supported life. Canals pointing in the opposite direction have been interpreted as evidence that liquid water flowed off the planet’s surface and into space.
The surface of Mars is also riven with various ridges and valleys. Observations by Earth-based telescopes have found that these features were formed by the wind, or by the impacts of large asteroids or meteoroids. These impacts could have also released water and other chemicals into the atmosphere, which would have caused the surface to be extremely hostile to life.
Mars is a fascinating planet with a different history and climate than Earth. It is also home to watery features and possible life, which makes it an interesting destination for future exploration.
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