Mars - the fourth planet, if you count from the Sun. It has an atmosphere, but it is discharged, its composition is mainly carbon dioxide. Sometimes they may call her "red planet"Because it seems reddish, a shade appeared due to the maghemite mineral.
The smallest distance from Earth to this planet when it is close to us is 55, 76 million km, and the largest is 401 million km. We know a lot about her, because observation has long been conducted. Many believe that once upon a time civilization existed on its surface, although this fact has not been proved by scientists.
Here is a list of the 10 most interesting facts about the planet Mars for children, students in grade 4. Amazing discoveries of modern scientists.
10. Canyon, which is significantly larger than the Grand Canyon in the United States
On Mars was discovered giant canyon system called Mariner Valley. She was spotted by the Mariner-9 apparatus in 1971-1972.
This system of canyons is ten times longer in length than the Grand Canyon, and seven times as wide, as many times as deep, is considered the largest of those that exist on the planets of our system. Its duration is 4500 km, its width is 200 km, and goes 11 km inland.
How exactly these canyons were formed is hard to say. But scientists are sure that they appeared in the early stages of planet formation, but over time, their width increased due to erosion. Someone believes that this is the result of a meteorite fall or a consequence of the eruption of giant volcanoes located near the valley.
9. Strong temperature fluctuations
The average temperature on this planet is very low - 63 ° C. Its daily fluctuations are quite high, because the atmosphere is very discharged, and she cannot smooth them. In summer, the air warms up to +20 ° C, at the equator - up to + 27 ° C, the maximum record is + 35 ° C. That is, a person would be quite comfortable there. But in winter, temperatures are incredibly low. Even the equator is -80, -125 ° C, and at the poles it drops to -143 ° C.
8. Mars has 2 satellites
This planet has two satellites.. The name of the first isPhobos", Translated from Greek as"fear", And the name of the second is"Deimos", as "horror", They were taken from the work of Homer," The Iliad. " They rotate not only around Mars, but also around its axis.
For a long time, scientists tried to find these satellites, but to no avail, until this discovery was made by Asaf Hall, who discovered them in August 1877. Scientists now know that they are made of rock. On the surface is a layer of regolith.
Deimos is an external satellite, Phobos is an internal satellite, closer to Mars and larger. Phobos appears in the west and sits in the east of the planet, while Deimos, on the contrary, rises in the east, his entry in the west.
They are bright enough, thanks to them objects on the surface of Mars cast shadows. There is a version that these are former asteroids that remained near the planet. According to another hypothesis, Mars had 1 satellite, which split into 2.
7. Many dried riverbeds
Experts have long believed that there is water on Mars. But a subsequent study showed that in most of it (70%) water, such as we used to see it, cannot be, because there is low atmospheric pressure. But it was found in the form of ice.
However, in the distant past, most likely, water covered a significant part of the planet. There are geological formations similar to river beds. They could also have been formed as a result of disasters, and are not necessarily remnants of river systems. But recent studies show that rivers could flow on Mars for long periods of time.
6. The highest mountain in the solar system
Mount Olympus is located on this planet. She is the largest mountain we know. This is an extinct volcano. The name was coined in honor of Mount Olympus, on which the Olympian gods allegedly lived. Its height is 26 km, which is two and a half times more than the highest volcano on Earth, whose height does not exceed 10.2 km.
It has steep slopes at the edges, reaching heights of up to 7 km. The mountain was formed due to lava flows that solidified on the surface; its diameter is 540 km. Around it there are many other volcanoes, also huge, but they are inferior to Olympus.
5. More than 100,000 people applied for a one-way flight
Once there was a project Mars One. Its organizers wanted to make a flight to Mars, and then broadcast it all on television. Many scientists and specialists were not sure that it would be possible to implement this project.
In 2013, they began to select future conquerors of Mars. Anyone could apply if he is over 18 and less than 65 years old. But the benefits are for educated, smart, healthy people. Filing an application is free of charge, but to confirm the seriousness of your intentions, donations must also be made, the amount of which does not exceed $ 40.
Already in June 2013, 85 thousand people recruited, in August - 100 thousand bold pioneers, and later they wanted to participate in the project 165 thousand. Two legal organizations were responsible for the project, one of which went bankrupt in early 2019. Therefore, now he has no source of financing. Physicist Joseph Roche criticized the organization, and in a documentary shot by our compatriots, Mars One was called scammers.
4. On Mars, you can’t survive without a spacesuit
Exist on Mars without a spacesuit does not workbecause there is a liquefied atmosphere. Water boils here at a temperature of +0.5 ° C, and a person’s temperature is much higher. This will cause circulatory disorders, which will be very painful and life-threatening.
There is almost no oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere, i.e. there will be nothing to breathe. And it’s very cold on the surface of the planet, we already wrote about this. Solar radiation will also be destructive, because the atmosphere is not able to protect against ultraviolet radiation, it will destroy any earthly life.
3. Severe dust storms
In spring, atmospheric pressure rises sharply, which is why large masses of gas move to the other hemisphere. Winds begin to blow, the speed of which is 10-40 m / s, but sometimes grows to 100 m / s.
Dust clouds rise from the surface of the planet, i.e. there are dust storms. They create something like a dust curtain, because of which nothing is visible.
2. Mars - the planet most similar to the Earth
They have a lot in common. They can be attributed to terrestrial planets, our planet - 3 in a row from the luminary, and Mars - 4. The "red planet" has an atmosphere, albeit a rarefied one. She also has a magnetic field, as on Earth, there is aurora here.
We have the same length of day, the difference is small: Earth - 24 hours, Mars - 24 hours 37 minutes. The angle of inclination of the axis is similar, there is almost no difference: our planet has 23.45 °, on Mars - 25.2 °, therefore there are seasons. As on Earth, there was volcanic activity.
1. The first of the people who saw Mars through a telescope was Galileo Galilei
The ancient Egyptian astronomers knew that Mars existed. But the first telescopic observations of the planet were made by you in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. Prior to this, there were only spyglasses.
In 1609, he created his first telescope. It was not very powerful, with a three-fold increase, but in the same year he was able to improve his invention. And, although other scientists have developed it, it was he who was the discoverer.