Mars Where is Mars Mars is about 250

Mars

Where is Mars? • Mars is about 250 million miles away from the Earth. • Mars is 130. 1 million miles from the sun! Mars is the fourth planet from the sun.

What Size is Mars? • The radius of Mars is 3, 389. 5 km. • The circumference of Mars is 21, 344 km. • The volume of Mars is 163, 116, 000 km 3 • The mass of Mars is 641, 690, 000, 000 kg. • The diameter of Mars is 4 221. 59588 miles.

Moons on Mars • The fact that Mars is half the size of Earth, it might shock you that Mars has two moons. • One of the moons that Mars has is called, Phobos, the other moon is Demios. • Phobos is the larger moon it orbits closer to the surface of Mars, Phobos orbits about twice a day around Mars, it orbits at an average distance of 9, 377 km above Mars. • Demios orbits at an average distance of 23, 460 km above Mars. Demios is much smaller than Phobos. It takes about 30. 35 hours for it to orbit Mars.

Theory of Mars • Mars could of once been cold and wet. • There has been a debate over this issue for many years because some researchers believe that water likely formed many features of Mars’ landscape, but other researchers believe that Mars was cold with temperatures far below freezing points of water.

Atmosphere • The Atmosphere of Mars is absolutely transparent and very thin. There is no clouds of water vapor, the only clouds that you see are mainly made from dust and carbon dioxide. • Many dust storms happen on Mars. • Occasionally water frost covers the ground during winter time. Some people wonder if this tiny amount of moisture be the trace remains of a once water- flourished planet.

Rotation • Mars rotates 24. 6 hours (1. 03 Days) • Mars rotates at a speed of 868. 22 km/h at the equator. • Mars only rotates about 40 minutes slower than Earth, this is one category where two planets are not very different. • Mars rotates counter clockwise (prograde), like most planets except Venus.

Revolution • Mars rotates on it’s axis, completing one revolution in/every 24. 6 hours. • In Earth days it lasts 686. 98 days and in Earth years it lasts 1. 88 years.

Visitors on Mars! • In mid 2003 NASA sent two twin space rovers to Mars, there names were Opportunity and Spirit. • Opportunity and Spirit are both still on Mars. They have been on Mars for NINE YEARS! • Opportunity will spend the next several months at a site informally named "Greeley Haven. ” • Spirit and Opportunity completed there three-month prime mission in April 2004. The rovers are continuing for years of bonus, extended missions.