Mars, Earth's neighboring red planet with a mysterious past linked to the Colorado River, has been a topic of interest for centuries. It's the only planet in our solar system inhabited solely by robots, making it even more alluring to scientists and the rest of humanity.
With its thin atmosphere, a climate as cold as the Earth's coldest city, and planetary dust storms, many people wonder what it would be like to travel to Mars. Many scientists hypothesize that the planet may have been more Earth-like in the past after discovering evidence of ancient rivers and ice on its surface.
However, Mars is currently uninhabitable, making the use of research robots necessary for scientists wanting to determine if people could set foot there one day. Here are nine facts about Mars that show exactly why scientists and the rest of humanity are so captivated by it.
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9 Like Earth, Mars Has Seasons
These seasons are, however, surprisingly different
A closeup view of Mars
Since Mars rotates on its axis every 24.6 hours, a Martian day is only slightly longer than a day on Earth. Also, similar to Earth, its axis is tilted at 25.2 degrees. This gives Mars seasons as each hemisphere tilts away from the Sun.
However, a year on Mars is almost twice as long as one on Earth, lasting 687 days instead of 365 due to its greater distance from the Sun. This means that one season can last up to 199 days.
Mars' orbit is also more elliptical, unlike Earth's round orbit, causing the season lengths to also be uneven. Adding to this, the planet's thinner atmosphere prevents heat from staying near te surface. This leads to extreme temperature variations that range from 70 degrees Fahrenheit all the way to negative 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
One Year on Mars:
687 days
Length of One Mars Season:
Up to 199 days
8 The Atmosphere On Mars Is Extremely Thin
Scientists believe that the atmosphere has been stripped away over the course of billions of years
A Mars sunset captured by NASA's Mars exploration rover, Spirit
Mars does not have active plate tectonics or a magnetic field like Earth does. The presence of both of them would prevent solar particles from stripping the atmosphere away. Scientists believe that Mars did have a global magnetic field that somehow ceased to exist about 4.1 billion years ago. The atmosphere has gradually decreased since then, causing the planet's extreme environment.
The thin atmosphere, composed of carbon dioxide with traces of nitrogen and argon, not only affects the temperature on Mars, but it also allows for more solar radiation to get through. This makes it more difficult for robotic missions, as the machinery must be able to withstand constant exposure.
What Mars' Atmosphere Consists of:
Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, Argon
What the Earth's Atmosphere Consists of:
Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon
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7 Mars Is Home To The Tallest Volcano In The Solar System
It's so huge that it would be hard to imagine anything like it on Earth
Artist's concept of an electric Martian dust storm
Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the entire solar system, is located on Mars. At 16 miles high, it's three times the height of Mount Everest, which stands at 5.5 miles. The volcano's base spans 374 miles, giving it a gentle slope that's not much steeper than a ramp made for wheelchairs.
The sheer size and gradual slope of Olympus Mons creates an optical illusion that would be impossible to see on Earth. Despite its height, you would not be able to see the summit if you stood at the volcano's outer edge, since it lies beyond the horizon.
Height of Olympus Mons:
16 miles
Width of Olympus Mons:
374 miles
6 Robots Have Discovered Evidence Of Water On Mars
Mars may have been more Earth-like in the past
Mars Curiosity rover takes a selfie on Mars during a giant dust storm
Although the oceans on Mars ceased to exist over three billion years ago, scientists found evidence of ocean-sized water reservoirs with help from NASA's interior exploration robot, InSight Lander in 2024. The robot probed the interior of the planet using seismic activity and gave scientists the data to hypothesize that there was enough water to potentially cover the planet approximately one mile deep.
While this discovery is groundbreaking, scientists say that it likely won't speed up the introduction of possible colonies on Mars. The reservoirs are located up to 13 miles below the surface, making them inaccessible for now.
How InSight Lander Conducted Research:
The exploration robot probed the interior of Mars using seismic activity.
What InSight Lander Discovered:
There are ocean-sized reservoirs up to 13 miles below the surface of Mars.
5 Mars Has The Largest Dust Storms In The Solar System
The storms can sometimes encompass the entire planet at once
A dust storm captured on the high-resolution stereo camera on board ESA's Mars Express
The dust storms on Mars usually occur during the planet's summer when warm and cold air collide, similarly to thunderstorms on Earth. The size of these dust storms, however, can cover an area the size of a continent. Every five and a half years, there is also the potential for dust storms that cover the entire planet, completely blocking out the sun.
Luckily, scientists aren't too worried about the robots on Mars' surface, with wind speeds reaching up to only 60 miles per hour. This contrasts greatly with the strongest hurricane wind gusts that have the potential to exceed 170 miles per hour.
Mars Dust Storm Wind Speeds:
60 miles per hour
Top Hurricane Winds Speeds on Earth:
170 miles per hour
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4 The Surface Of Mars Is Covered In Rust
Rust is what gives Mars its nickname, "The Red Planet"
An overhead view of Valles Marineris on Mars
While there are places on Earth like the underrated Antelope Canyon in Arizona that look like Mars, none of them share its unique mineral makeup.
Mars' surface from space has an unmistakable red hue caused by the oxidation or rusting of iron minerals. What's even more fascinating is that, from the surface, the rust also appears in many other colors. Brown, black, yellow, and green rust can be a common sight on the planet.
Rust Colors on Mars:
Brown, Black, Yellow, Green, and Red
3 Mars Has Two Moons
The moons are irregularly shaped and more than 100 times smaller than Earth's moon
Phobos and Deimos, Two of Mars' Cratered Moons
Unlike Earth, Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos. While the origins of these moons remain unclear, scientists hypothesize that they were captured from the asteroid belt, or they were formed by debris after a massive impact occurred on Mars.
The two moons are shaped like potatoes due to their lack of mass and gravity. Deimos, which spans less than 10 miles across, is the smallest moon that orbits Mars every 30 hours.
Phobos, which is double the size of Deimos, has many craters created by an unknown source. It is also moving six feet closer to Mars each century, meaning that it has about 50 million years until it completely breaks apart or crashes into the planet's surface.
Deimos:
The smallest moon, spanning less than 10 miles.
Phobos:
Twice as large as Deimos, Phobos will eventually crash into Mars' surface.
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2 There Are Organic Molecules On Mars
A robot may have found signs of biological activity on the planet
A NASA Mars rover set against the planet's red background
In 2018, NASA's Curiosity rover detected organic molecules in Martian rock samples. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen are among the discoveries that tell scientists Mars may have once been conducive to ancient life.
Scientists conducting a six-year analysis also found that methane levels in the atmosphere change with the seasons and follow a clear cycle. The Curiosity rover drilled into sedimentary rocks formed billions of years ago in Mars' Gale Crater and found that the methane levels increase during the summer and decrease in the winter.
While methane can be produced by non-living chemical reactions between water and rock, its presence can also be a sign of biological activity.
Types of Organic Molecules Detected:
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen
What This Means for Mars Research:
The presence of these molecules might signal that there once was biological activity on Mars.
1 The Journey To Mars Takes Months
It could take even longer, depending on the planet's position
True color image of Mars taken by the OSIRIS instrument on the ESA Rosetta spacecraft during its February 2007 flyby of the planet.
The average distance between Earth and Mars is approximately 140 million miles, so a one-way trip to the Red Planet would take around nine months. This duration can vary, since the distance between the two planets is 249 million miles at its longest and 34.7 million miles at its shortest.
There are a few challenges when it comes to the potential of human missions to Mars. The spacecraft must carry enough fuel, food, oxygen, and supplies for a round-trip journey, which can be tough to predict. The crew also needs to be protected against prolonged weightlessness and exposure to radiation throughout the journey.
Agencies like NASA are working on advanced technologies to help make the trip take closer to nine months. SpaceX, the organization behind the dearMoon Tourism Project, is hoping to reduce the trip to six months.
Shortest Distance Between Earth and Mars:
34.7 million miles
Average Distance Between Earth and Mars:
140 million miles
Longest Distance Between Earth and Mars:
249 million miles
References: National Geographic, Live Science, NASA, BBC, Weather.gov, ThoughtCo, BBC's Sky at Night Magazine