Mars

The Red Planet has long been the inspiration for science fiction stories and concerns of “Martian Invasions”—in fact the term “Martian” became synonymous with any alien life form. Mars has also provided inspiration for scientists, however, who have actively studied the planet that, of all the planets in our solar system, is the best candidate for supporting life outside of Earth.

A Look at Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, and one of the few objects in space that can be seen by the naked eye from the surface of Earth. It is located half an Astronomical Unit behind the Earth, putting it just outside the “life giving zone” of the Sun, but various discoveries have caused modern scientists to think that at one point the planet may have supported life, or even do so now, albeit perhaps in a form we are not familiar with.

Mars is smaller than Earth and less dense, although if all the solid surfaces of Earth were brought together it would only be slightly larger than Mars. It is the last of the terrestrial inner planets, and while its size makes it half as likely to be impacted by meteors as the Earth, its proximity to both the asteroid belt and Jupiter actually increase the chances. There are over 40,000 mapped craters on the surface of Mars larger than 5 km; less impact craters than the moon thanks to a thicker atmosphere that burns up smaller meteors before impact.

There are a lot of fascinating features of the Red Planet (so called because of the high quantity of rust, or iron-oxide, on the surface), including the largest mountain in the solar system (Olympus Mons) and the largest valley (Valles Marineris). Some of the solar system’s biggest storms take place on Mars as well, sometimes engulfing the entire planet.

Exploration of Mars

Mars has been studied by mankind for a very long time, but it wasn’t until 1964 that the first successful fly by mission took place, putting mankind within reach of the Red Planet, if only by extension. There are currently three active satellites in orbit around Mars (more than any other planet but Earth), and more are planned. A 2020 manned trip to the Earth’s moon is planned as a step in the direction of an eventual manned mission to Mars.

The Case for Martian Life

There are a lot of factors that could contribute to the case for life on Mars. The planet has water ice Polar Regions and evidence that, at some point in its history, liquid oceans could have been found there. It is relatively just outside the habitable zone of the Sun; in the past the habitable zone may have been large enough to include Mars. Recent discoveries of methane gas have lead to speculation that living organisms must have produced it, but counter speculation points out that there are other ways methane could be created beyond biological.

Final Thoughts

Mars will continue to inspire the fantastic and the scientific, and in many ways the line between the two is becoming more and more blurred. Popular fiction is often driven by scientific discovery, and with the amount of attention being paid to Mars there will be more discoveries coming from the Red Planet than anywhere else for some time to come.

Related Articles in the 'The Planets' Category...

• All About The Earth
• ISS Assembly Sequence
• Jupiter
• Neptune
• Planet Mercury
• Planet Venus
• Planets Outside the Solar System
• Pluto
• Saturn
• Uranus