We all know Mars is called the “Red Planet”. But, Have you ever wondered what is hiding on Mars?
Mars is not for people who are faint-hearted. It’s arid, rocky, and freezing. Mars is one of the two closest planetary neighbors of the planet we live in(while Venus is the other one). Being the fourth planet from the Sun, Mars is one of the most visible planets in the night sky, appearing as a bright red point of light.
What might be Hiding On Mars?
From ancient microbial life to remnants of advanced civilizations, the possibilities are tantalizingly intriguing. As we continue to explore and study the Red Planet, we may one day uncover the long-awaited answers to this age-old question and unlock the secrets that Mars has kept hidden for eons. Until then, Mars will continue to be a celestial enigma that fuels our curiosity and sparks our imagination, beckoning us to keep searching for the truth in the vast expanse of space.
Moons That Might Be Hiding On Mars?
Phobos and Deimos, two small moons of Mars, might be captured asteroids. They’re shaped like potatoes because they have too little mass to be spherical due to gravity.
They are named after the horses that pulled the chariot of the Greek god of war, Ares.
Phobos, the larger and innermost, has a cratered surface with deep grooves. It is slowly approaching Mars and will collide with the planet or disintegrate in around 50 million years.
Deimos is about half the size of Phobos and orbits Mars at a distance of two and a half times that of Phobos. Deimos is oddly shaped and covered in loose dirt, which typically fills the craters on its surface, giving it a smoother appearance than the pockmarked Phobos.
Formation:
Mars formed when the solar system stabilized into its current configuration around 4.5 billion years ago when gravity drew spinning dust and gas in to become the Sun’s fourth planet. Mars is about half the size of Earth, and it has a solid crust, a rocky mantle, and a central core just like the other terrestrial planets.
Rings:
There are no rings on Mars. However, if Phobos collides with Mars or breaks apart in 50 million years, it might leave a dusty ring around it.
Surface:
The Red Planet actually has different kinds of colors. Colors like brown, tan, and gold are visible on the surface. The rusting or oxidation – of iron in the rocks, regolith (Martian “soil”), and dust of Mars cause Mars to appear reddish. This dust is kicked up into the atmosphere, making the planet appear predominantly red from afar.
Mars’ surface has almost the same area as Earth’s dry land, despite the fact that it is about half the diameter of Earth. Volcanoes, impact craters, crustal movement, and weather patterns such as dust storms have all changed the landscape.
Volcanoes, crustal movement, impact craters, and atmospheric conditions like dust storms have shaped Mars’ topography over millions of years, resulting in some of the solar system’s most fascinating topographical features.
Valles Marineris is a vast canyon system that is comparable to the distance between California and New York,i.e, more than 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers). The canyon is 200 miles (320 kilometers) broad at its widest point and 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) deep at its deepest point on Mars.
What is the size?
To comprehend how big it is, let’s say that is around ten times greater than the size of the Grand Canyon on Earth.
Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in our solar system and is located on Mars. It stands three times the height of Mt. Everest and has a base comparable to the size of New Mexico.
With historic river valley networks, lakebeds, and deltas as well as minerals and rocks on the surface which could only have formed in liquid watery conditions, it can be concluded that Mars had a watery history. Some characteristics on Mars have also shown that massive floods occurred about 3.5 billion years ago.
Although there is water on Mars now, the atmosphere is too thin for liquid water to persist on the surface for a long. Water can be found on Mars today in the form of ice which is located just beneath the surface in the region of poles, as well as briny water (salty water) that flows down some crater walls and hillsides on a yearly basis.
The Potential Of Life On Mars:
Scientists do not anticipate uncovering any living organisms on Mars right now. Instead, they’re on the lookout for traces of life from a time when Mars was covered with water and warmer.
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