MARS! For Kids
Today we're going to talk about Mars, the fourth planet from the sun. Mars is a rocky planet that is similar in many ways to Earth. It has mountains, valleys, and even volcanoes. In fact, Mars has the tallest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, which is about 25 kilometers (15 miles) tall.
Mars is also home to the largest canyon in the solar system, Valles Marineris. This massive canyon is about 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) long and up to 7 kilometers (4 miles) deep. That's about the distance from New York City to Los Angeles!
Mars has a thin atmosphere, made up mostly of carbon dioxide, and it has dust storms that can cover the entire planet. The surface of Mars is also very cold, with temperatures ranging from about -80 degrees Celsius (-112 degrees Fahrenheit) at the poles to about 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) at the equator.
But what about life on Mars? Scientists have been searching for evidence of life on Mars for many years. In the past, scientists have found evidence of water on Mars, which is an important ingredient for life as we know it. In 2020, NASA's Perseverance rover even found evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars in the form of microbial fossils.
Mars is also a popular target for future human exploration. In the past, NASA has sent several rover missions to Mars to study the planet and search for evidence of life. In the future, NASA and other space agencies hope to send humans to Mars to explore the planet and possibly even establish a permanent colony.
Who discovered Mars
The ancient Greeks and Romans knew about Mars and named it after their gods of war. The Greeks called Mars "Ares," while the Romans called it "Mars." Mars was also known to ancient civilizations in China, India, and other parts of the world. The ancient Greeks were some of the first people to study Mars in detail. They observed the planet from Earth using telescopes and made detailed observations of its movements and appearances.
One of the most famous ancient Greek astronomers was Ptolemy, who lived in the 2nd century AD. Ptolemy wrote a book called the "Almagest," which was a detailed study of the movements of the planets, including Mars. In the "Almagest," Ptolemy described Mars as a "wandering star" and made detailed predictions about its movements.
Another famous ancient Greek astronomer was Aristotle, who lived in the 4th century BC. Aristotle believed that Mars and the other planets were carried around the Earth on crystal spheres. He also believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, a theory that was widely accepted for many centuries.
The ancient Greeks also named Mars after their gods of war. The Greeks called Mars "Ares," while the Romans called it "Mars." The red color of Mars, which is caused by iron oxide (rust) on the surface of the planet, also led to the association with war and violence.
In modern times, Mars was first studied in detail by astronomers using telescopes. In the 16th century, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli observed dark, linear features on the surface of Mars that he called "canali," which means "channels" in Italian. These features were later translated as "canals" in English and led to the belief that Mars might be home to an advanced civilization.
Missions to Mars
Scientists have been studying Mars for many years, searching for evidence of life and studying the planet's geology, climate, and atmosphere. In the past, NASA and other space agencies have sent several rover missions to Mars to study the planet and search for evidence of life.
The first mission to Mars was launched by the Soviet Union in 1960, but it was unsuccessful. The first successful mission to Mars was the Mariner 4 spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1964. This mission flew by Mars and sent back the first close-up images of the planet.
Since then, there have been many more missions to Mars by both NASA and other space agencies. Some of these missions have been flybys, where a spacecraft flies past Mars and takes images of the planet. Other missions have been orbiters, where a spacecraft orbits Mars and takes images and measurements of the planet from above.
There have also been several lander missions to Mars, where a spacecraft lands on the surface of the planet and studies the planet from the ground. One of the most famous lander missions to Mars was the Viking mission, launched by NASA in 1976. The Viking landers studied the surface of Mars and looked for evidence of life.
In recent years, there have been several rover missions to Mars, where a small robotic vehicle is sent to the surface of the planet to study the geology and search for evidence of life. Some of the most famous rover missions to Mars include the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity), the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity), and the Mars 2020 mission (Perseverance).
These missions have helped us learn a lot about Mars, including the history of water on the planet and the potential for life. In the future, NASA and other space agencies hope to send humans to Mars to explore the planet and possibly even establish a permanent colony.
I hope you enjoyed learning about how the ancient Greeks studied Mars. Do you have any other questions about science or the solar system? Feel free to ask me!