Which is bigger Earth or Mars? Planet Mars: interesting facts about the fiery neighbor of the Earth.

When Earth and Mars are observed from some distance, it becomes apparent that they exhibit some striking differences. In the first case, the predominant colors are white and blue, corresponding to clouds and oceans, with brown shades of the continents. Thus, the existence of water in its various states (solid in polar glaciers, liquid in the oceans and seas, and in a gaseous state in the atmosphere) is obvious. And the presence of water implies the existence of life.

In fact, even from orbiting satellites, one can notice the intense biological activity of the planet. This can be seen from the Antarctic sea ice or the seasonal color changes of the woodlands.

Earth (the first full picture of the planet taken from Apollo 17, with Antarctica at the top) and Mars (image taken by HST). Please note that the images are not in real scale, since Mars is much smaller than our planet (equatorial diameters of 12,756.28 and 6,794.4 kilometers, respectively).

Red Planet

Mars is completely different. Its surface is dominated by various shades of orange, caused by a high content of iron oxide. Depending on the season and the position of the Red Planet relative to the Earth, one of the poles of Mars may be visible to astronomers, in which case dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) gives it a white color. However, several studies in recent years have made scientists understand what water is and that the dynamics of the life cycle of this compound on the planet are quite complex.

Mars has a thin atmosphere composed primarily of carbon dioxide (95.32%), nitrogen (2.7%), argon (1.4%), and traces of oxygen (0.13%). The atmosphere of the Earth, on the other hand, consists mainly of nitrogen (78.1%), oxygen (20.94%), argon (0.93%) and a variable amount of carbon dioxide (about 0.035% and growing rapidly). Average temperatures on the planets vary widely: -55 degrees Celsius (ºC) in the case of Mars, with lows around -133 ºC and highs around +27 ºC; and an average of around +15 ºC in the case of the Earth with lows of -89.4 ºC (noted in Antarctica, although -93.2 ºC was recently recorded in satellite measurements) and maxima of +58 ºC measured in El Aziz , Libya.

The average temperature of the Earth depends on the greenhouse effect caused by gases in the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide, water vapor, ozone (oxygen molecules with three oxygen atoms instead of the two that we breathe) and methane. Otherwise, the average temperature on Earth would be about 33 ºC cooler, around -18 ºC, and so water would be in a solid state over most of the planet.

Internal structure

In the case of Mars and Earth, their internal structure is divided into three well-differentiated regions: crust, mantle, and core. However, unlike the Earth, the core of Mars is solid and does not create its own magnetic field. At the same time, Mars has local magnetic fields, which are relic remnants of the global field that existed, perhaps, when Mars had a partially liquid core. The virtual absence on the Red Planet of plate tectonics as we know it on Earth, causing strong volcanic activity and orogeny (mountain building), means that the Martian soil is much older than the ocean floor and continents of the Earth. For example, the great plains of the southern hemisphere, the Hellas Plain, were formed by the impact of a large celestial body about 3900 million years ago. In the case of the Earth, evidence of an event of this age would have long since disappeared from its face.

A comparison of the altitude profiles of the two planets shows that they are very different: while most of the Earth's continental land mass is concentrated in the northern hemisphere, where there is also no polar continent, the northern hemisphere on Mars is dominated by the great northern lowland, located at the level of a thousand meters below the zero altitude of Mars. It is located at an altitude where the pressure of the atmosphere is 6.1 millibars and the triple point of water is located, at which matter coexists in solid, liquid and gaseous at the same time. In the case of water, the exact value is 273.16 K (0.01 °C) at a pressure of 6.1173 millibars. Therefore, below the reference point for the heights of Mars (for example, at the level of Hellas Planitia), liquid water could be found if the temperature there were high enough.

Unlike what it looks like on Mars, oceans and seas predominate in the southern hemisphere of the Earth, although several continental masses stand out in the topographic profile of our planet, which rise to significant heights above sea level (for example, the Antarctic Plateau). The situation on Mars is more uniform. The biggest difference between the planets is that a large amount of solid water is concentrated at the South Pole of the Earth. It covers an area of ​​about 14 million square kilometers in summer, but including sea ice, it can increase to 30 million. The size reached by Martian Antarctica is much smaller - about 140,000 square kilometers, and its composition is very different from the earth. As mentioned earlier, it is dominated by dry ice.

It is curious that in our Antarctica we find some close similarities with Mars, namely the presence of low temperatures and low humidity. This refers to the McMurdo Valley system very close to the coast, which geologically may have equivalents on Mars.

Is there life on Mars?

Whether life exists on Mars or not, or whether there has ever been any biological activity, remains an open question. Some studies show that the Martian land is too salty for life to develop there. However, on our planet there are many examples of living beings that develop in clearly hostile conditions. They are known as .

Mars is the fourth farthest from the Sun and the seventh largest planet in the solar system, named after Mars, the ancient Roman god of war, corresponding to the ancient Greek Ares. Mars is sometimes referred to as the "red planet" because of the reddish hue of the surface given to it by iron oxide.

Mars is a terrestrial planet with a rarefied atmosphere. The features of the surface relief of Mars can be considered impact craters like those of the moon, as well as volcanoes, valleys, deserts and polar ice caps like those of the earth.

Mars has two natural satellites, Phobos and Deimos (translated from ancient Greek - "fear" and "horror" - the names of the two sons of Ares, who accompanied him in battle), which are relatively small and have an irregular shape. They may be asteroids captured by the gravitational field of Mars, similar to the asteroid (5261) Eureka from the Trojan group.

The relief of Mars has many unique features. The Martian extinct volcano Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in the solar system, and the Mariner Valley is the largest canyon. In addition, in June 2008, three papers published in the journal Nature presented evidence for the existence of the largest known impact crater in the solar system in the northern hemisphere of Mars. It is 10,600 km long and 8,500 km wide, about four times larger than the largest impact crater previously discovered on Mars, near its south pole. In addition to similar surface topography, Mars has a rotation period and seasons similar to Earth's, but its climate is much colder and drier than Earth's.

Until the first flyby of Mars by the Mariner 4 spacecraft in 1965, many researchers believed that there was liquid water on its surface. This opinion was based on observations of periodic changes in light and dark areas, especially in polar latitudes, which were similar to continents and seas. Dark furrows on the surface of Mars have been interpreted by some observers as irrigation channels for liquid water. It was later proven that these furrows were an optical illusion.

Due to low pressure, water cannot exist in a liquid state on the surface of Mars, but it is likely that conditions were different in the past, and therefore the presence of primitive life on the planet cannot be ruled out. On July 31, 2008, water in the state of ice was discovered on Mars by NASA's Phoenix spacecraft.

In February 2009, the orbital research constellation in the orbit of Mars had three functioning spacecraft: Mars Odyssey, Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Satellite, more than around any other planet except Earth. The surface of Mars is currently explored by two rovers: "Spirit" and "Opportunity". There are also several inactive landers and rovers on the surface of Mars that have completed research. The geological data they collected suggests that most of the surface of Mars was previously covered with water. Observations over the past decade have made it possible to detect weak geyser activity in some places on the surface of Mars. According to observations from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor, parts of the south polar cap of Mars are gradually receding.

Mars can be seen from Earth with the naked eye. Its apparent stellar magnitude reaches −2.91m (at the closest approach to the Earth), yielding in brightness only to Jupiter (and even then not always during the great confrontation) and Venus (but only in the morning or evening). As a rule, during the great opposition, orange Mars is the brightest object in the earth's night sky, but this happens only once every 15-17 years for one to two weeks.

In size, Mars is almost half the size of the Earth - its equatorial radius is 3396.9 km (53.2% of the Earth's). The surface area of ​​Mars is approximately equal to the land area on Earth. The polar radius of Mars is about 20 km less than the equatorial one, although the planet's rotation period is longer than that of the Earth, which suggests a change in the rotation rate of Mars over time. The mass of the planet is 6.418 × 1023 kg (11% of the mass of the Earth). The free fall acceleration at the equator is 3.711 m/s² (0.378 Earth); the first escape velocity is 3.6 km/s and the second is 5.027 km/s. Mars rotates around its axis, which is inclined to the perpendicular plane of the orbit at an angle of 24°56′. The planet's rotation period is 24 hours 37 minutes 22.7 seconds. Thus, a Martian year consists of 668.6 Martian solar days (called sols). The tilt of the axis of rotation of Mars causes the change of seasons. In this case, the elongation of the orbit leads to large differences in their duration. Thus, the northern spring and summer, taken together, last 371 sols, that is, noticeably more than half of the Martian year. At the same time, they fall on the part of Mars' orbit that is farthest from the Sun. Therefore, on Mars, northern summers are long and cool, while southern summers are short and hot.

The temperature on the planet ranges from -153°C at the pole in winter to over +20°C at the equator at noon. The average temperature is -50 °C.

Atmosphere of Mars.

The atmosphere of Mars, which consists mainly of carbon dioxide, is very rarefied. The pressure at the surface of Mars is 160 times less than the earth's - 6.1 mbar at the average surface level. Due to the large elevation difference on Mars, the pressure near the surface varies greatly. The maximum value reaches 10–12 mbar in the Hellas basin at a depth of 8 km. Unlike the Earth, the mass of the Martian atmosphere varies greatly during the year due to the melting and freezing of the polar caps containing carbon dioxide.

The atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide; it also contains 2.7% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, 0.13% oxygen, 0.1% water vapor, 0.07% carbon monoxide. There are traces of methane.

The Martian ionosphere extends from 110 to 130 km above the surface of the planet.

There is evidence that in the past the atmosphere could be denser, and the climate warm and humid, and liquid water existed on the surface of Mars and it rained. The Mars Odyssey orbiter discovered that there are deposits of water ice under the surface of the red planet. Later, this assumption was confirmed by other devices, but the question of the presence of water on Mars was finally resolved in 2008, when the Phoenix probe, which landed near the planet's north pole, received water from the Martian soil.

The climate, like on Earth, is seasonal. In the cold season, even outside the polar caps, light frost can form on the surface. The Phoenix device recorded snowfall, but the snowflakes evaporated before reaching the surface.

According to researchers from the Carl Sagan Center, the process of warming has been going on on Mars in recent decades. Other experts believe that it is too early to draw such conclusions.

The Opportunity rover recorded numerous dust whirlwinds. These are air turbulences that occur near the surface of the planet and raise a large amount of sand and dust into the air. They are often observed on Earth, but on Mars they can reach much larger sizes.

Two-thirds of the surface of Mars is occupied by light areas, called continents, about a third - by dark areas, called seas. The seas are concentrated mainly in the southern hemisphere of the planet, between 10 and 40 ° latitude. There are only two large seas in the northern hemisphere - the Acidalian and the Great Syrt.

The nature of the dark areas is still a matter of controversy. They persist despite the fact that dust storms rage on Mars. At one time, this served as an argument in favor of the assumption that the dark areas are covered with vegetation. Now it is believed that these are just areas from which, due to their relief, dust is easily blown out. Large-scale images show that in fact, the dark areas consist of groups of dark bands and spots associated with craters, hills and other obstacles in the path of the winds. Seasonal and long-term changes in their size and shape are apparently associated with a change in the ratio of surface areas covered with light and dark matter.

The hemispheres of Mars are quite different in the nature of the surface. In the southern hemisphere, the surface is 1–2 km above the mean level and is densely dotted with craters. This part of Mars resembles the lunar continents. In the north, most of the surface is below average, there are few craters, and the main part is occupied by relatively smooth plains, probably formed as a result of lava flooding and erosion. This difference between the hemispheres remains a matter of debate. The boundary between the hemispheres follows approximately a great circle inclined at 30° to the equator. The boundary is wide and irregular and forms a slope towards the north. Along it there are the most eroded areas of the Martian surface.

Two alternative hypotheses have been put forward to explain the asymmetry of the hemispheres. According to one of them, at an early geological stage, the lithospheric plates "came together" (perhaps by accident) into one hemisphere, like the Pangea continent on Earth, and then "frozen" in this position. Another hypothesis involves the collision of Mars with a space body the size of Pluto.

A large number of craters in the southern hemisphere suggests that the surface here is ancient - 3-4 billion years. There are several types of craters: large craters with a flat bottom, smaller and younger bowl-shaped craters similar to the moon, craters surrounded by a rampart, and elevated craters. The latter two types are unique to Mars - rimmed craters formed where liquid ejecta flowed over the surface, and elevated craters formed where a crater ejecta blanket protected the surface from wind erosion. The largest feature of impact origin is the Hellas Plain (about 2100 km across).

In a region of chaotic landscape near the hemispheric boundary, the surface experienced large areas of fracture and compression, sometimes followed by erosion (due to landslides or catastrophic release of groundwater) and flooding with liquid lava. Chaotic landscapes are often found at the head of large channels cut by water. The most acceptable hypothesis for their joint formation is the sudden melting of subsurface ice.

In the northern hemisphere, in addition to vast volcanic plains, there are two areas of large volcanoes - Tharsis and Elysium. Tharsis is a vast volcanic plain with a length of 2000 km, reaching a height of 10 km above the average level. There are three large shield volcanoes on it - Mount Arsia, Mount Pavlina and Mount Askriyskaya. On the edge of Tharsis is the highest mountain on Mars and in the solar system, Mount Olympus. Olympus reaches 27 km in height in relation to its base and 25 km in relation to the average level of the surface of Mars, and covers an area of ​​​​550 km in diameter, surrounded by cliffs, in places reaching 7 km in height. The volume of Mount Olympus is 10 times the volume of the largest volcano on Earth, Mauna Kea. Several smaller volcanoes are also located here. Elysium - a hill up to six kilometers above the average level, with three volcanoes - the dome of Hecate, Mount Elysius and the dome of Albor.

The Tharsis Upland is also crossed by many tectonic faults, often very complex and extended. The largest of them, the Mariner valleys, stretches in a latitudinal direction for almost 4000 km (a quarter of the planet's circumference), reaching a width of 600 km and a depth of 7-10 km; this fault is comparable in size to the East African Rift on Earth. On its steep slopes, the largest landslides in the solar system occur. The Mariner Valleys are the largest known canyon in the solar system. The canyon, which was discovered by the Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1971, could cover the entire territory of the United States, from ocean to ocean.

The appearance of Mars varies greatly depending on the time of year. First of all, changes in the polar caps are striking. They grow and shrink, creating seasonal phenomena in the atmosphere and on the surface of Mars. The southern polar cap can reach a latitude of 50°, the northern one also 50°. The diameter of the permanent part of the northern polar cap is 1000 km. As the polar cap in one of the hemispheres recedes in spring, details of the planet's surface begin to darken. To a terrestrial observer, the darkening wave appears to be propagating from the polar cap towards the equator, although the orbiters do not record any significant changes.

The polar caps are made up of two components: seasonal carbon dioxide and secular water ice. According to the Mars Express satellite, the thickness of the caps can range from 1 m to 3.7 km. The Mars Odyssey spacecraft has discovered active geysers on the south polar cap of Mars. As NASA experts believe, jets of carbon dioxide with spring warming break up to a great height, taking dust and sand with them.

The spring melting of the polar caps leads to a sharp increase in atmospheric pressure and the movement of large masses of gas to the opposite hemisphere. The speed of the winds blowing at the same time is 10-40 m/s, sometimes up to 100 m/s. The wind raises a large amount of dust from the surface, which leads to dust storms. Strong dust storms almost completely hide the surface of the planet. Dust storms have a noticeable effect on the temperature distribution in the Martian atmosphere.

Data from the Martian Reconnaissance Satellite made it possible to detect a significant layer of ice under the scree at the foot of the mountains. The glacier hundreds of meters thick covers an area of ​​thousands of square kilometers, and its further study can provide information about the history of the Martian climate.

On Mars, there are many geological formations that resemble water erosion, in particular, dried up river beds. According to one hypothesis, these channels could have formed as a result of short-term catastrophic events and are not proof of the long-term existence of the river system. However, recent evidence suggests that the rivers have flowed for geologically significant periods of time. In particular, inverted channels (that is, channels elevated above the surrounding area) have been found. On Earth, such formations are formed due to the long-term accumulation of dense bottom sediments, followed by drying and weathering of the surrounding rocks. In addition, there is evidence of channel shifting in the river delta as the surface gradually rises.

Data from NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers also provide evidence for the presence of water in the past (minerals found that could only form as a result of prolonged exposure to water). The device "Phoenix" discovered deposits of ice directly in the ground.

Several unusual deep wells have been found on the Tharsis volcanic upland. Judging by the image of the Martian Reconnaissance Satellite, taken in 2007, one of them has a diameter of 150 meters, and the illuminated part of the wall goes no less than 178 meters deep. A hypothesis about the volcanic origin of these formations has been put forward.

The elemental composition of the surface layer of the Martian soil, according to the data of the landers, is not the same in different places. The main component of the soil is silica (20-25%), containing an admixture of iron oxide hydrates (up to 15%), which give the soil a reddish color. There are significant impurities of sulfur compounds, calcium, aluminum, magnesium, sodium (a few percent for each).

According to data from NASA's Phoenix probe (landing on Mars on May 25, 2008), the pH ratio and some other parameters of Martian soils are close to Earth's, and plants could theoretically be grown on them. "In fact, we found that the soil on Mars meets the requirements, and also contains the necessary elements for the emergence and maintenance of life in the past, present and future." “We were pleasantly surprised by the data received. This type of soil is also widely represented on Earth - any villager deals with it daily in the garden. A high (significantly higher than expected) content of alkalis was noted in it, and ice crystals were found. Such soil is quite suitable for growing various plants, such as asparagus. There is nothing here to make life impossible. On the contrary: with each new study, we find additional evidence in favor of the possibility of its existence, ”said Sam Kunaves, lead research chemist of the project.

There is also a significant amount of water ice in the ground at the landing site of the apparatus.

Unlike the Earth, there is no movement of lithospheric plates on Mars. As a result, volcanoes can exist for a much longer time and reach gigantic sizes.

Modern models of the internal structure of Mars suggest that Mars consists of a crust with an average thickness of 50 km (and a maximum thickness of up to 130 km), a silicate mantle 1800 km thick, and a core with a radius of 1480 km. The density in the center of the planet should reach 8.5 g/cm³. The core is partially liquid and consists mainly of iron with an admixture of 14-17% (by mass) of sulfur, and the content of light elements is twice as high as in the Earth's core. According to modern estimates, the formation of the core coincided with the period of early volcanism and lasted about a billion years. The partial melting of mantle silicates took approximately the same time. Due to the lower gravity on Mars, the pressure range in the mantle of Mars is much smaller than on Earth, which means that it has fewer phase transitions. It is assumed that the phase transition of olivine to the spinel modification begins at fairly large depths - 800 km (400 km on Earth). The nature of the relief and other features suggest the presence of an asthenosphere consisting of zones of partially molten matter. For some regions of Mars, a detailed geological map has been compiled.

According to observations from orbit and analysis of the collection of Martian meteorites, the surface of Mars consists mainly of basalt. There is some evidence to suggest that, on part of the Martian surface, the material is more quartz-bearing than normal basalt and may be similar to andesitic rocks on Earth. However, these same observations can be interpreted in favor of the presence of quartz glass. A significant part of the deeper layer consists of granular iron oxide dust.

Mars has a magnetic field, but it is weak and extremely unstable, at different points on the planet its strength can differ from 1.5 to 2 times, and the magnetic poles do not coincide with the physical ones. This suggests that the iron core of Mars is relatively immobile in relation to its crust, that is, the planetary dynamo mechanism responsible for the Earth's magnetic field does not work on Mars. Although Mars does not have a stable planetary magnetic field, observations have shown that parts of the planet's crust are magnetized and that there has been a reversal of the magnetic poles of these parts in the past. The magnetization of these parts turned out to be similar to strip magnetic anomalies in the oceans.

One theory, published in 1999 and re-examined in 2005 (using the unmanned Mars Global Surveyor), is that these bands show plate tectonics 4 billion years ago, before the planet's dynamo ceased to function, causing a sharp weakening magnetic field. The reasons for this sharp decline are unclear. There is an assumption that the functioning of the dynamo 4 billion. years ago is explained by the presence of an asteroid that rotated at a distance of 50-75 thousand kilometers around Mars and caused instability in its core. The asteroid then descended to its Roche limit and collapsed. However, this explanation itself contains ambiguities, and is disputed in the scientific community.

Perhaps, in the distant past, as a result of a collision with a large celestial body, the rotation of the core stopped, as well as the loss of the main volume of the atmosphere. It is believed that the loss of the magnetic field occurred about 4 billion years ago. Due to the weak magnetic field, the solar wind penetrates the atmosphere of Mars almost unhindered, and many of the photochemical reactions under the action of solar radiation that occur on Earth in the ionosphere and above can be observed on Mars almost at its very surface.

The geological history of Mars includes the following three epochs:
Noachian Epoch (named after "Noachian Land", a region of Mars): Formation of the oldest extant surface of Mars. It continued in the period 4.5 billion - 3.5 billion years ago. During this epoch, the surface was scarred by numerous impact craters. The plateau of the province of Tharsis was probably formed during this period with intense water flow later.
Hesperian epoch: from 3.5 billion years ago to 2.9 - 3.3 billion years ago. This era is marked by the formation of huge lava fields.
Amazonian Epoch (named after the "Amazonian Plain" on Mars): from 2.9 - 3.3 billion years ago to the present day. The regions formed during this epoch have very few meteorite craters, but otherwise they are completely different. Mount Olympus was formed during this period. At this time, lava flows were pouring in other parts of Mars.

The natural satellites of Mars are Phobos and Deimos. Both were discovered by the American astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877. Phobos and Deimos are irregularly shaped and very small. According to one hypothesis, they may represent asteroids like (5261) Eureka from the Trojan group of asteroids captured by the gravitational field of Mars. The satellites are named after the characters accompanying the god Ares (that is, Mars), Phobos and Deimos, personifying fear and horror, who helped the god of war in battles.

Both satellites rotate around their axes with the same period as around Mars, therefore they are always turned to the planet by the same side. The tidal influence of Mars gradually slows down the movement of Phobos, and eventually will lead to the fall of the satellite to Mars (while maintaining the current trend), or to its disintegration. On the contrary, Deimos is moving away from Mars.

Phobos (top) and Deimos (bottom).

Both satellites have a shape approaching a triaxial ellipsoid, Phobos (26.6 × 22.2 × 18.6 km) is slightly larger than Deimos (15 × 12.2 × 10.4 km). The surface of Deimos looks much smoother due to the fact that most of the craters are covered with fine-grained matter. Obviously, on Phobos, which is closer to the planet and more massive, the substance ejected during meteorite impacts either struck again on the surface or fell on Mars, while on Deimos it remained in orbit around the satellite for a long time, gradually settling and hiding uneven terrain.

The popular idea that Mars was inhabited by intelligent Martians became widespread in the late 19th century. Schiaparelli's observations of the so-called canals, combined with a book by Percival Lowell on the same subject, popularized the idea of ​​a planet that was getting drier, colder, dying, and had an ancient civilization doing irrigation work.

Numerous other sightings and announcements by famous people gave rise to the so-called "Mars Fever" around this topic. In 1899, while studying atmospheric interference in a radio signal using receivers at the Colorado Observatory, inventor Nikola Tesla observed a repeating signal. He then speculated that it might be a radio signal from other planets such as Mars. In a 1901 interview, Tesla said that the idea came to him that interference could be caused artificially. Although he could not decipher their meaning, it was impossible for him that they arose completely by chance. In his opinion, it was a greeting from one planet to another.

Tesla's theory was enthusiastically supported by Lord Kelvin, who, visiting the US in 1902, said that he thought Tesla had picked up the Martian signal sent to the US. However, Kelvin then vehemently denied this statement before he left America: "In fact, I said that the inhabitants of Mars, if they exist, can certainly see New York, in particular the light from electricity."

Today, the presence of liquid water on its surface is considered a condition for the development and maintenance of life on the planet. There is also a requirement that the planet's orbit be in the so-called habitable zone, which for the solar system begins behind Venus and ends with the semi-major axis of the orbit of Mars. During perihelion, Mars is within this zone, but a thin atmosphere with low pressure prevents the appearance of liquid water over a large area for a long period. Recent evidence suggests that any water on the surface of Mars is too salty and acidic to support permanent terrestrial life.

The lack of a magnetosphere and the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars are also a problem for sustaining life. There is a very weak movement of heat flows on the surface of the planet, it is poorly isolated from bombardment by solar wind particles, in addition, when heated, water instantly evaporates, bypassing the liquid state due to low pressure. Mars is also on the threshold of the so-called. "geological death". The end of volcanic activity apparently stopped the circulation of minerals and chemical elements between the surface and the interior of the planet.

Evidence suggests that the planet was previously much more prone to life than it is now. However, to date, the remains of organisms have not been found on it. Under the Viking program, carried out in the mid-1970s, a series of experiments were conducted to detect microorganisms in the Martian soil. It has shown positive results, such as a temporary increase in CO2 release when soil particles are placed in water and nutrient media. However, then this evidence of life on Mars was disputed by some scientists. This led to their lengthy dispute with NASA scientist Gilbert Lewin, who claimed that the Viking had discovered life. After re-evaluating the Viking data in the light of current scientific knowledge about extremophiles, it was determined that the experiments carried out were not perfect enough to detect these life forms. Moreover, these tests could even kill the organisms, even if they were contained in the samples. Tests conducted by the Phoenix Program have shown that the soil has a very alkaline pH and contains magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride. The nutrients in the soil are sufficient to support life, but life forms must be protected from intense ultraviolet light.

Interestingly, in some meteorites of Martian origin, formations were found that resemble the simplest bacteria in shape, although they are inferior to the smallest terrestrial organisms in size. One of these meteorites is ALH 84001, found in Antarctica in 1984.

According to the results of observations from the Earth and data from the Mars Express spacecraft, methane was detected in the atmosphere of Mars. Under the conditions of Mars, this gas decomposes rather quickly, so there must be a constant source of replenishment. Such a source can be either geological activity (but no active volcanoes have been found on Mars), or the vital activity of bacteria.

After the landings of automatic vehicles on the surface of Mars, it became possible to conduct astronomical observations directly from the surface of the planet. Due to the astronomical position of Mars in the solar system, the characteristics of the atmosphere, the period of revolution of Mars and its satellites, the picture of the night sky of Mars (and astronomical phenomena observed from the planet) differs from the earth's and in many ways seems unusual and interesting.

During sunrise and sunset, the Martian sky at the zenith has a reddish-pink color, and in close proximity to the disk of the Sun - from blue to purple, which is completely opposite to the picture of earthly dawns.

At noon, the sky of Mars is yellow-orange. The reason for such differences from the color scheme of the earth's sky is the properties of the thin, rarefied atmosphere of Mars containing suspended dust. On Mars, Rayleigh scattering of rays (which on Earth is the cause of the blue color of the sky) plays an insignificant role, its effect is weak. Presumably, the yellow-orange coloration of the sky is also caused by the presence of 1% magnetite in dust particles constantly suspended in the Martian atmosphere and raised by seasonal dust storms. Twilight begins long before sunrise and lasts long after sunset. Sometimes the color of the Martian sky takes on a purple hue as a result of light scattering on microparticles of water ice in clouds (the latter is a rather rare phenomenon).

Earth is an inner planet to Mars, just like Venus is to Earth. Accordingly, from Mars, the Earth is observed as a morning or evening star, rising before dawn or visible in the evening sky after sunset.

The maximum elongation of the Earth in the sky of Mars will be 38 degrees. To the naked eye, the Earth will be visible as a bright (maximum visible stellar magnitude of about −2.5) greenish star, next to which the yellowish and dimmer (about 0.9) star of the Moon will be easily distinguishable. In a telescope, both objects will show the same phases. The revolution of the Moon around the Earth will be observed from Mars as follows: at the maximum angular distance of the Moon from the Earth, the naked eye will easily separate the Moon and the Earth: in a week the “stars” of the Moon and the Earth will merge into a single star inseparable by the eye, in another week the Moon will again be visible at maximum distance, but on the other side of the Earth. Periodically, an observer on Mars will be able to see the passage (transit) of the Moon across the Earth's disk or, conversely, the covering of the Moon by the Earth's disk. The maximum apparent distance of the Moon from the Earth (and their apparent brightness) when viewed from Mars will vary significantly depending on the relative position of the Earth and Mars, and, accordingly, the distance between the planets. In the epoch of oppositions, it will be about 17 minutes of arc, at the maximum distance of Earth and Mars - 3.5 minutes of arc. Earth, like other planets, will be observed in the constellation band of the Zodiac. An astronomer on Mars will also be able to observe the passage of the Earth across the disk of the Sun, the next one will occur on November 10, 2084.

The angular size of the Sun, observed from Mars, is less than that visible from the Earth and is 2/3 of the latter. Mercury from Mars will be practically inaccessible to observation with the naked eye due to its extreme proximity to the Sun. The brightest planet in the sky of Mars is Venus, in second place is Jupiter (its four largest satellites can be observed without a telescope), in third is Earth.

Phobos, when observed from the surface of Mars, has an apparent diameter of about 1/3 of the disk of the Moon in the earth's sky and an apparent magnitude of the order of −9 (approximately like the Moon in the phase of the first quarter). Phobos rises in the west and sets in the east, only to rise again 11 hours later, thus crossing the sky of Mars twice a day. The movement of this fast moon across the sky will be easily seen during the night, as will the changing phases. The naked eye can distinguish the largest feature of the relief of Phobos - Stickney crater. Deimos rises in the east and sets in the west, looks like a bright star without a noticeable visible disk, with a magnitude of about −5 (slightly brighter than Venus in the earth's sky), slowly crossing the sky for 2.7 Martian days. Both satellites can be observed in the night sky at the same time, in which case Phobos will move towards Deimos.

The brightness of both Phobos and Deimos is sufficient for objects on the surface of Mars to cast sharp shadows at night. Both satellites have a relatively small inclination of the orbit to the equator of Mars, which excludes their observation in the high northern and southern latitudes of the planet: for example, Phobos never rises above the horizon north of 70.4 ° N. sh. or south of 70.4°S sh.; for Deimos these values ​​are 82.7°N. sh. and 82.7°S sh. On Mars, an eclipse of Phobos and Deimos can be observed when they enter the shadow of Mars, as well as an eclipse of the Sun, which is only annular due to the small angular size of Phobos compared to the solar disk.

The north pole on Mars, due to the tilt of the planet's axis, is in the constellation Cygnus (equatorial coordinates: right ascension 21h 10m 42s, declination +52° 53.0' and is not marked by a bright star: the nearest to the pole is a dim star of the sixth magnitude BD +52 2880 (other its designations are HR 8106, HD 201834, SAO 33185. The south celestial pole (coordinates 9h 10m 42s and −52° 53.0) is a couple of degrees from the star Kappa Parusov (apparent magnitude 2.5) - its, in principle , can be considered the South Pole Star of Mars.

The zodiac constellations of the Martian ecliptic are similar to those observed from the Earth, with one difference: when observing the annual movement of the Sun among the constellations, it (like other planets, including the Earth), leaving the eastern part of the constellation Pisces, will pass for 6 days through the northern part of the constellation Cetus before how to re-enter the western part of Pisces.

Due to the proximity of Mars to Earth, its colonization in the foreseeable future is an important task for humanity. Relatively close to terrestrial natural conditions facilitate this task. In particular, on Earth there are such places explored by man, in which the natural conditions are in many ways similar to those on Mars. Atmospheric pressure at an altitude of 34,668 meters - the highest point reached by a balloon with a crew on board (May 1961) - roughly corresponds to the pressure on the surface of Mars. Extremely low temperatures in the Arctic and Antarctica are comparable even to the lowest temperatures on Mars, and on the equator of Mars in the summer months it is as warm (+30 ° C) as on Earth. Also on Earth there are deserts similar in appearance to the Martian landscape.

However, there are several significant differences between Earth and Mars. In particular, the magnetic field of Mars is weaker than the earth's by about 800 times. Together with a rarefied atmosphere, this increases the amount of ionizing radiation reaching its surface. Radiation measurements carried out by the American unmanned spacecraft The Mars Odyssey showed that the radiation background in the orbit of Mars is 2.2 times higher than the radiation background at the International Space Station. The average dose was approximately 220 millirads per day (2.2 milligrays per day or 0.8 grays per year). The amount of radiation received as a result of staying in such a background for three years is approaching the established safety limits for astronauts. On the surface of Mars, the radiation background will most likely be somewhat lower and may vary significantly depending on the terrain, altitude and local magnetic fields.

Mars has a certain economic potential for colonization. In particular, the southern hemisphere of Mars was not subjected to melting, unlike the entire surface of the Earth - therefore, the rocks of the southern hemisphere inherited the quantitative composition of the non-volatile component of the protoplanetary cloud. According to calculations, it should be enriched with those elements (relative to the Earth) that on Earth “drowned” in its core during the melting of the planet: metals of the copper, iron and platinum groups, tungsten, rhenium, uranium. The export of rhenium, platinum metals, silver, gold and uranium to the Earth (in the event of an increase in prices for it to the level of prices for silver) has good prospects, but for its implementation it requires the presence of a surface reservoir with liquid water for enrichment processes.

The flight time from Earth to Mars (with current technologies) is 259 days in a semi-ellipse and 70 days in a parabola. To communicate with potential colonies, radio communication can be used, which has a delay of 3-4 minutes in each direction during the closest approach of the planets (the opposition of Mars, from an earthly point of view, which repeats every 780 days), and about 20 minutes. at the maximum removal of the planets (the conjunction of Mars with the Sun); see Configuration (astronomy).

However, to date, no practical steps have been taken towards the colonization of Mars.

The exploration of Mars began a long time ago, even 3.5 thousand years ago, in ancient Egypt. The first detailed accounts of the position of Mars were made by Babylonian astronomers, who developed a number of mathematical methods to predict the position of the planet. Using the data of the Egyptians and Babylonians, ancient Greek (Hellenistic) philosophers and astronomers developed a detailed geocentric model to explain the movement of the planets. A few centuries later, Indian and Islamic astronomers estimated the size of Mars and its distance from Earth. In the 16th century, Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model to describe the solar system with circular planetary orbits. His results were revised by Johannes Kepler, who introduced a more accurate elliptical orbit for Mars, coinciding with the observed one.

Topographic map of Mars.

In 1659, Francesco Fontana, looking at Mars through a telescope, made the first drawing of the planet. He depicted a black spot in the center of a clearly defined sphere. In 1660, two polar caps were added to the black spot, added by Jean Dominique Cassini. In 1888, Giovanni Schiaparelli, who studied in Russia, gave the first names to individual surface details: the seas of Aphrodite, Eritrean, Adriatic, Cimmerian; lakes of the Sun, Lunar and Phoenix.

The heyday of telescopic observations of Mars came at the end of the 19th - the middle of the 20th century. It is largely due to public interest and well-known scientific disputes around the observed Martian channels. Among the astronomers of the pre-space era who made telescopic observations of Mars during this period, the most famous are Schiaparelli, Percival Lovell, Slifer, Antoniadi, Barnard, Jarry-Deloge, Tikhov, Vaucouleurs. It was they who laid the foundations of areography and compiled the first detailed maps of the surface of Mars - although they turned out to be almost completely wrong after flights of automatic probes to Mars.

Orbital characteristics:
Perihelion
206.62×106 km
1.3812 a. e.
Aphelion
249.23×106 km
1.6660 a. e.
Major axle (a)
227.92×106 km
1.5236 a. e.
Orbital eccentricity (e)
0,093315
sidereal period
686.971 days
1.8808 Earth years
Sol 668.5991
Synodic period of circulation
779.94 days
Orbital speed (v)
24.13 km/s (average)
Inclination (i)
1.85061° (relative to the plane of the ecliptic)
5.65° (relative to solar equator)
Ascending node longitude (Ω)
49.57854°
Periapsis argument (ω)
286.46230°

Satellites:
2 (Phobos and Deimos)
physical characteristics
flattening
0,00589
Equatorial radius
3396.2 km
Polar radius
3376.2 km
Medium radius
3386.2 km
Surface area (S)
144,798,465 km²
Volume (V)
1.6318×1011 km³
0.151 Earth
Weight (m)
6.4185×1023 kg
0.107 Earth
Average density (ρ)
3.9335 g/cm³
Acceleration of gravity at the equator (g)
3.711 m/s² (0.378 g)
Second escape velocity (v2)
5.027 km/s
Equatorial rotation speed
868.22 km/h
Rotation period (T)
24 hours 39 minutes and 36 seconds
Axis Tilt
24.94°
Right ascension north pole (α)
21 h 10 min 44 s
317.68143°
North Pole Declination (δ)
52.88650°
Albedo
0.250 (Bond)
0.150 (geom.albedo)

Temperature:

min. avg. Max.

Worldwide 186 K 227 K 268 K

Atmosphere:
Atmosphere pressure
0.6-1.0 kPa (0.006-0.01 atm)
Compound:
95.32% ar. gas

2.7% Nitrogen
1.6% Argon
0.2% oxygen
0.07% Carbon monoxide
0.03% Water vapor
0.01% Nitric oxide

I also remember from the school course of astronomy that the diameter of the planet Mars is almost two times smaller than the diameter of the planet Earth. And if we compare the volumes of Mars and our planet, then the difference in favor of the Earth will be even greater.

I have a good visual memory, and so, I still remember from school (the pictures there were given to consider the planets) that the radius of the Earth is almost 2 times greater than the radius of Mars, therefore the answer is: the planet Earth is larger.

Everyone in school had geography. We really liked this subject, especially when the topics were touched on extraterrestrial. Now scientists are looking for life on this mysterious red planet, the opportunity to live for a person, they are looking for water, microorganisms. Mars has always attracted scientists with its mystique!

From reference materials, we know that the average diameter of the Earth is approximately 12,742 km, and the circumference of our planet is 40,000 km. Huge sizes. So, for comparison, the average linear diameter of the planet Mars is 6,800 km, 0.53 of the diameter of our planet Earth. So obviously Earth is bigger than Mars. Curious fact!

It is a pity that not all schools teach astronomy! But she was in our school!

Mars is a small planet compared to the Earth, it makes up a little more than ten percent of the mass of the Earth. In terms of distance from the Sun, Mars is the fourth planet, and our planet Earth is the third.

The temperature on Mars can be minus 153 degrees, and in the summer plus 20 at noon. Almost the entire atmosphere of the planet Mars is made up of carbon dioxide.

If we talk about the size of the terrestrial planets, then Mars will be smaller than the Earth, its size is 0.53 of the size of the Earth. The average diameter of the Earth is 12,742 km, and the average diameter of Mars is 6,720 km.



Here are the characteristics of such planets of the solar system as the planet Earth and the planet Mars. Everything is very well and detailed in the table. There is such a graph as the surface area of ​​these planets, hence, we can say with accuracy that the area of ​​the planet Earth will be greater than the area of ​​the planet Mars.





Opening up my dusty old encyclopedia, here's what I'll say: Earth has a diameter of 12,740 km, and Mars, in turn, is 6,779 km. Yes, I looked at the encyclopedia for the sake of interest, the book is old, and it turned out that the data did not agree with the Internet indicators, namely, that according to old estimates, the Earth is 2 meters smaller in diameter (12740 km), and according to modern indicators 12742 km.

Well, for those who studied astronomy at school, they can safely answer this question: that the Earth is much larger than the planet Mars. According to all visual measurements, the planet Mars has a diameter of 6,720 kilometers, but the diameter of our planet Earth is almost twice as large and has a diameter of 12,742 kilometers. From this we can draw the correct conclusion.

Mars is much smaller than Earth, but both planets have the same amount of land mass. Mars has a diameter of 6792 kilometers = 4220 miles at the equator. The earth has a diameter of 12,756.32 kilometers = 7926 miles at the equator.

Mars is about half the size of Earth.

The diameter of Mars is about 53% of the Earth, and the surface area is close to 38% of the Earth.

The Red Planet, as Mars is called, does not give rest not only to scientists, but also to filmmakers, the plot of so many (Hollywood) films is connected with this planet.

In diameter, the fourth (by distance from the sun) planet has - 6,779 kilometers.

Earth (the third planet from the sun), being the fifth largest among all the planets of the solar system, has a diameter of - 12,742 kilometers.

Those. in Earth diameter almost doubled more than Mars.

Since ancient times, mankind has turned its gaze to the stars. But if earlier people turned to celestial bodies only as higher beings capable of influencing their lives with their miraculous properties, now these views are much more pragmatic.

Mars in antiquity

The first name given to the planet was Ares. So in honor of the god of war, the ancient Greeks named the red planet, which reminds people of war. At a time when no one was interested in what was bigger, Mars or Earth, power was everything. That is why the ancient Romans came to replace the Greeks. They brought their ideas about the world, life, their names. They also renamed the star, symbolizing evil, cruelty and grief. It was named after the Roman god of war, Mars.

Many centuries have passed since then, it has long been found out that it is more, Mars or Earth, it became clear that the planet is far from being as cruel and powerful as it seemed to the ancient Greeks and Romans, but interest in the planet has not disappeared, and every century everything is only intensified.

Life on Mars

The first sketch of Mars was made public in 1659 in Naples. Francesco Fontana, a Neapolitan astronomer and lawyer, started a whirlwind of research that hit the planet through the centuries.

Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1877 bypassed the achievements of Fontana, making not just a drawing, but making a map of the entire planet. Taking advantage of the ongoing Great Opposition, which allowed him to take a closer look at Mars, he discovered some channels and dark regions on our neighbor in the solar system. Without wasting time thinking about which planet is larger: Mars, Earth, humanity decided that these were the products of an alien civilization. It began to be believed that the channels are irrigation systems that the aliens sent to water the vegetation zones - those very dark areas. Water in the channels, according to most, came from ice caps at the poles of the planet.

The scientist who discovered all these geological objects did not originally mean anything like that. However, over time, influenced by the enthusiasm of the majority, he believed in such a popular hypothesis. He even wrote the work "On Intelligent Life on Mars", where he explained the ideal directness of the channels precisely by the activities of alien farmers.

However, already in 1907, a geographer from Great Britain in his book "Is Mars inhabited?" refuted this theory using all the research available at the time. He finally proved that the life of highly organized beings is basically impossible on Mars, despite the fact that Mars is larger in size than the Earth, or smaller.

The truth about channels

The existence of direct, like arrows, channels was confirmed by pictures of the planet in 1924. Surprisingly, most astronomers observing Mars have never seen this phenomenon. Nevertheless, by 1939, the next Great Confrontation, there were about 500 channels in the pictures of the planet.

Everything was finally clarified only in 1965, when Mariner 4 flew so close to Mars that it was able to photograph it from a distance of only 10 thousand kilometers. These pictures showed a lifeless desert with craters. All dark zones and channels turned out to be just an illusion caused by distortion during observations through a telescope. There is nothing like it in reality on the planet.

Mars

So, which is bigger: Mars or Earth? The mass of Mars is only 10.7% of the mass of the Earth. Its diameter along the equator is almost two times smaller than the earth's - 6794 kilometers against 12,756 km. A year on Mars lasts 687 Earth days, a day is 37 minutes longer than ours. There is a change of seasons on the planet, but no one would rejoice at the onset of summer on Mars - this is the most severe season, winds up to 100 m / s walk around the planet, clouds of dust cover the sky, blocking the sunlight. However, the winter months also cannot please with the weather - the temperature does not rise above minus one hundred degrees. The atmosphere is composed of carbon dioxide, which during the winter months lies in huge snow caps at the poles of the planet. These hats never completely melt. The density of the atmosphere is only one percent of that of the earth.

But one should not think that there is no water on the planet - at the foot of the largest volcanic mountain in the solar system - Olympus - huge glaciers of ordinary water were found. Their thickness reaches one hundred meters, the total area is several thousand kilometers. In addition, formations similar to dried up riverbeds were found on the surface. The results of the study prove that once fast streams of water flowed along these rivers.

Research

In the 20th century, not only unmanned space stations were sent to Mars, but also rovers were launched, thanks to which it became possible to obtain soil samples from the red planet. Now we have accurate data on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and the surface of the planet, on the nature of its seasons, we have photographs of all regions of Mars. NASA's rovers, reconnaissance satellite and orbiter have a busy schedule with literally no free time until 2030.

prospects

It is no secret that mankind spends huge, simply space funds on the study of Mars. The answer to the question of which is larger, Mars or Earth, has long been given, but we have not lost interest in this planet. What's the matter? What is it that scientists are so interested in that states spend such sums on the study of a barren desert?

Despite the fact that the presence of rare earth elements is quite possible, their extraction and transportation to Earth is simply unprofitable. Science for the sake of science? Perhaps, but not in the current situation on our own planet to waste resources on the study of empty planets.

The fact is that today, when even a child does not ask the question of how much Mars is larger than the Earth, the problem of overpopulation of the blue planet is very acute. In addition to the immediate shortage of living space, the need for fresh water and food is also growing, the political and economic situation is deteriorating in all, especially ecologically favorable zones. And the more actively a person lives, the faster we are moving towards disaster.

The idea of ​​the "Golden Billion" has long been put forward, according to which one billion people can safely live on Earth. The rest need...

And this is where Mars can come to the rescue. It is more or less than the Earth - in this case it is not so important. Its total area is approximately equal to the land area of ​​our planet. Thus, it is quite possible to settle a couple of billion people on it. The distance to Mars is not critical, the journey to it will take much less time than in ancient times it took from Rome to China. But it was regularly done by merchants. Thus, it remains only to create favorable conditions for the life of earthlings on Mars. And this will be quite possible after a while, because scientific progress is moving forward with giant strides.

And it is not known who will win this competition, Earth and Mars: what is more suitable for life in a few decades - the answer to this question lies ahead of us.

Within our native solar system are a wide variety of cosmic bodies. We call them planets, but each of them has its own, unique properties. So, the first four, located closest to the star, are included in the category of "terrestrial planets". They have a core, a mantle, a solid surface, and an atmosphere. The next four are gas giants, having only a core, dressed in a wide variety of gases. But we have Mars and Earth on the agenda. Comparison of these two planets will be fascinating and exciting, especially given the fact that both of them are representatives of the "terrestrial category".

Introduction

Astronomers of the past, after they discovered Mars, believed that this planet is the closest relative of the Earth. The first comparisons of Mars and the Earth are connected with the system of channels seen through a telescope, which surrounded the red planet. Many were convinced that there was water and, as a result, organic life. It is likely that millions of years ago this object within the solar system had conditions similar to today's terrestrial ones. However, now it has been more than accurately established: Mars is a red desert. Nevertheless, comparisons of Earth and Mars are a favorite topic of astronomers to this day. By studying the features of the structure and rotation of our nearest neighbor, they believe that this planet will soon be able to be colonized. But there are nuances that so far prevent humanity from taking this step. We will learn about what they are and what they are by drawing an analogy on all points between our native Earth and the mysterious neighboring Mars.

Weight, size

These indicators are the most important, so we will start with Mars and Earth. Even in children's books on astronomy, we all noticed that the red planet is slightly smaller than ours, about one and a half times. Let's look at this difference in specific numbers.

• The average radius of the Earth is 6371 km, while for Mars this figure is 3396 km.
• The volume of our home planet is 1.08321 x 10 12 km 3 while the Martian is equal to 1.6318 × 10¹¹ km³, that is, it is 0.151 of the earth's volume.

The mass of Mars is also smaller compared to the Earth, and this indicator differs dramatically, unlike the previous one. The earth weighs 5.97 × 10 24 kg, and the red planet is content with only 15 percent of this indicator, namely, 6.4185 x 10 23 kg.

Orbital features

From the same children's astronomical textbooks, we know that Mars, due to the fact that it is more distant from the Sun than the Earth, is forced to walk in a larger orbit. It is about twice as large as the earth, in fact, and the year on the red planet is twice as long. From this we can conclude that this cosmic body rotates at a speed comparable to the Earth. But it is important to know these data in exact numbers. The distance of the Earth from the Sun is 149,598,261 km, but at the same time, Mars is located at a distance of 249,200,000,000 km from our star, which is almost twice as much. The orbital year in the kingdom of the dusty and red desert is 687 days (we remember that on earth a year lasts 365 days).

It is important to note that the sidereal rotation of the two planets is almost the same. A day on Earth is 23 hours and 56 minutes, and on Mars it is 24 hours and 40 minutes. The axial tilt cannot be ignored. For the Earth, a characteristic indicator is 23 degrees, and for Mars - 25.19 degrees. It is likely that the planet may be seasonal.

Composition and structure

Comparison of Mars and Earth will be incomplete if the structure and density of these two planets is not taken into account. Their structure is identical, since both belong to the terrestrial group. In the very center is the core. In Earth, it consists of nickel and metal, and the radius of its sphere is 3500 km. The Martian core has the same composition, but its spherical radius is 1800 km. Then both planets have a silicate mantle, followed by a dense crust. But the earth's crust differs from the Martian one by the presence of a unique element - granite, which is not present anywhere else in space. It is important to note that the average depth is 40 km, while the Martian crust reaches a depth of up to 125 km. The average is 5.514 grams per cubic meter, and Mars - 3.93 grams per cubic meter.

Temperature and atmosphere

At this point we are faced with fundamental differences between the two neighboring planets. And the thing is that in the solar system, only one Earth is equipped with a very dense air shell, which maintains a unique microclimate on the planet. So, a comparison of the atmosphere of Earth and Mars should begin with the fact that the first air layer has a complex, five-stage structure. We all learned in school such terms as the stratosphere, exosphere, etc. The Earth's atmosphere consists of 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen. On Mars, there is only one layer, very thin, which consists of 96 percent carbon dioxide, 1.93% argon and 1.89% nitrogen.

This also caused a difference in temperature. On Earth, the average is +14 degrees. It rises to a maximum of +70 degrees, and drops to -89.2. Mars is much cooler. The average temperature is -46 degrees, while the minimum is 146 below zero, and the maximum is 35 with a + mark.

gravity

In this word, the whole essence of our existence on the blue planet. It is she who is the only one in the solar system that can provide gravity acceptable for the life of people, animals and plants. We mistakenly believed that gravity is absent on other planets, but it is worth saying that it is there, just not as strong as ours. The gravity on Mars is almost three times less than on Earth. If we have such an indicator as G - that is, the acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m / s squared, then on the red desert planet it is equal to 3.711 m / s squared. Yes, you can walk on Mars, but without a special suit with loads, alas, it will not work.

satellites

The only satellite of the Earth is the Moon. She not only accompanies our planet on her mysterious cosmic journey, but is also responsible for many natural processes in life, such as tides. The moon is also the most studied cosmic body at the moment, as it is closest to us. Escort of Mars - The satellites were discovered in 1877 and named after the sons of the god of war Ares (translated as "fear" and "horror"). It is most likely that they were pulled by the gravity of the red planet from the asteroid ring, since their composition is identical to all other stones orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.