Noctis Labyrinthus at the left, Melas Chasma in the middle, Hebes Chasma just left of top center, Eos Chasma at lower right and Ganges Chasma just above center right. Valles Marineris as seen in this mosaic of Viking orbiter images. According to NASA, the valley is as wide as the United States and is about 20% of the Red Planet’s diameter. In some parts, the canyon is 4 miles (7 kilometers) deep. But Mars also has a deep and wide canyon known as Valles Marineris, after the spacecraft (Mariner 9) that discovered it. It’s 16 miles (25 kilometers) high and its diameter is approximately the same as the state of Arizona, according to NASA. This is why we have Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano known on a planet in the Solar System. The surface gravity of Mars is only 37% of what you would find on Earth, which makes it possible for volcanoes to be taller without collapsing. Mars Has Some Extreme Highs And Lows In Terrain: This question is being investigated in more detail with NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft. Over long periods of time, this would lessen the amount of atmosphere near Mars. What? It is thought that the Sun’s energy striking the atmosphere must have “stripped” the lighter forms of hydrogen from the top, scattering the molecules into space. So something must have changed in the past few billion years. Mars Used To Have A Thicker Atmosphere:įor water to flow in the past, the Red Planet needs more atmosphere. Altieri (IFSI-INAF) and the OMEGA team 3. The question is if the ice is capable of melting enough water in the summer long enough to support any microbes. Mars has a thin atmosphere that does not allow water to flow or remain in large quantities on the surface, but we know for sure that there is ice at the poles - and possibly frosty locations elsewhere on the planet. In fact, the Curiosity rover’s mandate on Mars right now is to search for habitable environments (in the past or present). We’re very interested in the question of water because it implies habitability simply put, life as we know it is more likely to exist with water there. That said, several spacecraft have spotted other signs of ancient water - channels grooved in the terrain and rocks that only could have formed in the presence of water, for example. It turned out Lowell’s observations were hampered by poor telescope optics of his day, and the canals he saw were optical illusions. In fact, the astronomer Percival Lowell misinterpreted observations of “canali” - the Italian word for channels - on the planet as evidence of alien-made canals. We’ve been debating for centuries about whether Mars had life or not. So what are some of the most important things to learn about the Red Planet? The planet is just far away to make that dream difficult, but just close enough to spark our imagination. ![]() We’ve sent dozens of spacecraft there to study it. Mars is a constant point of discussion for space explorers around the world.
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