Mars

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Mars

• - the Fourth Rock from the Sun -

Dr. Mikhail Tomoff Summer Astronomy School NAO
Rozhen, 2004
Mosaic image taken by Viking. In the centre
Valles Marineris
Credit Ilyan Darganov
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Historical Background

• the name (Greek Ares) the Roman god M. was
  god of agriculture before becoming associated
  with the Greek god of war
• Galileo Huygens Syrtis Major 1659, 1672,
  Cosmotheros Cassini 1699 rotational period
• First Surface Features Determined the 1700s
• Miraldi - the poles, 1719 great opposition
  nearly as close as the one in 2003
• Sir William Herschel the color changes,
  believed in life on all solar bodies
• The 1800s The mapping of Mars
• Giovanni Schiaparelli (1835-1910) nomenclature
  for Mars features from mythology, canali
• Percival Lowell believed in intelligent life on
  Mars, channels
• 20th and 21st century
• atmospheric observations
• Gerard Kuiper 1952 CO2
• the missions continuing until recent days

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• Schiaparellis map of Mars

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General Facts about

• Physical features (orbital and other)
• Mass (kg) 6.421.1023 , Mass (Earth
  1)1.0745.10-1
• Equatorial radius (km)3,397.2 Equatorial radius
  (Earth 1) 5.3264 .10-1
• Mean density (gm/cm 3) 3.94
• Mean distance from the Sun (km) 227,940,000
• Mean distance from the Sun (Earth 1) 1.5237
• Rotational period (hours) 24.6229, Rotational
  period (days) 1.025957
• Orbital period (days) 686.98, Mean orbital
  velocity (km/sec) 24.13
• Orbital eccentricity 0.0934
• Tilt of axis (degrees) 25.19
• Orbital inclination (degrees) 1.850
• Equatorial surface gravity (m/sec2) 3.72
• Equatorial escape velocity (km/sec) 5.02
• Visual geometric albedo 0.15 , Magnitude (Vo)
  -2.01 (varies!)
• 2 moons Phobos and Deimos

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• Atmosphere quite different than the Earths one
• 1 percent of Earth's atmosphere !
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) 95.32
• Nitrogen (N2) 2.7
• Argon (Ar) 1.6
• Oxygen (O2) 0.13
• Water (H2O) 0.03 - small amounts but enough for
  clouds formation
• Neon (Ne) 0.00025
• Temperature and Pressure
• T - average -63 C (-81 F) , max. 20 C (68 F)
  , min. -140 C (-220 F)
• pressure - average 7 millibars (varies with
  seasons)
• Climate
• significantly elliptical orbit big temperature
  variations
• dramatic weather changes, strongly variable
  atmosphere
• global dust storms
• clouds often more cloudy than dusty (HST, NRAO)
• perihelion climate (summer in S. H.) dust storms
  Viking, Mariner 9, NRAO
• aphelion climate - planet-wide belts of water ice
  clouds (not identified by the 1970s spacecrafts)

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• Geology
• Southern H. higher than the North with elevation
  border between
• Internal structure dense core (iron and sulfur)
  , mantle, thin crust (80 km S.H., 35 N.H.)
• No active tectonic plates
• Active volcanoes in the past, no evidence of
  current activity
• Erosion patterns may be water, may be not
• Weak magnetic field
• Large but not global magnetic fields in some
  regions - MGS

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Missions history

• The past missions
• Mariner IV the first successful mission
• Mars 2 first landing on Mars
• Viking 1976. The primary mission objectives were
  to
• obtain high resolution images of the Martian
  surface,
• characterize the structure and composition of the
  atmosphere and surface,
• and search for evidence of life.
• The Viking Landers transmitted images of the
  surface, took surface samples and analyzed them
  for composition and signs of life, studied
  atmospheric composition and meteorology, and
  deployed seismometers. Last transmits 1980 and
  1982. The results from the Viking experiments
  give our most complete view of Mars to date
• Mars Pathfinder - landed on 4 of July 1997 (20
  years hiatus!)

11 October 1964 Mariner IV on the top of the
rocket Atlas - Agena
September 9, 1975 launch of the Viking 2
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• Viking 1 lander site - image of basalt type of
  rock

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Viking 2 lander site - image of regolith
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• Recent missions
• MER Spirit (Gusev crater and Columbia Hills)
  and Opportunity
• Hematite found in Planum Meridianum may be of
  origin that includes water presence
• Beagle (lost) and Mars Express, orbiting the
  planet
• HRSC, OMEGA, PFS, SPICAM, ASPERA, MaRS
• Mars Global Surveyor scientific researches
• 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft recently - full
  martian year celebration during which it has
• shown us where water ice lies buried beneath the
  surface
• analysed "what Mars is made of" by identifying
  minerals and chemical elements and,
• studied the martian radiation environment to help
  us understand potential health effects on future
  human explorers.

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Future missions and Colonization

• Future launches - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter ,
  Phoenix , Mars Science Laboratory
• Colonization ideas Mars Society dr. Zubrin,
  desert and polar experiments
• Mars future goal for human mission after the
  Moon
• 1989 the Ninety days plan lunar bases,
  orbital hangars, space docks, transportation
  fleets, spacecraft 450 billion dollars! -
  REJECTED!
• Reason for the high price construction of a
  massive spacecraft
• 1990 Mars Direct plan (dr. R. Zubrin) a trip
  without the 320 tones of propellant price - 20
  billions dollars
• Mars in situ propellant production
  H2CO2?CH3H20, H20? H2 O2 , the methane and
  oxygen are powerful rocket propellant
• Why not nuclear fusion? not enough researched
  why?
• 1st launch ERV (Earth Return Vehicle)
  unmanned payload 20 t H2 , chemical unit,
  atmospheric compressor, rover
• 2nd launch manned spacecraft ERV

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• The habitation exercise room, sleeping
  quarters, bathroom, laboratory, galley, lounge,
  digital library
• 600500600 days
• Mars Society's experiments desert and arctic
  Martian bases
• Testing technology for life support,
  transportation, recycling etc.
• Inflatable greenhouse
• Energy production solar cells arrays
• Other problems before a human mission to Mars
• Radiation hazard
• Low gravity muscle and bones deterioration
• Psychological stress cabin fever
• Dust storms
• No possibilities for rescue missions if s.th.
  goes wrong.
• What will the humans do on the Red planet
• Study geology, look for water, take samples to
  return to Earth
• Mars Station Bulgarian educational project
• Life issues Mars meteorite story 1996 David
  McKay, recent findings some non-biological
  processes could produce the patterns found in the
  meteorite, the big speculations, the need of
  sample return mission

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Observable Mars

• Small guide to observing Mars
• The great oppositions great opportunities
  Mars is about 25 arcsec.
• The difference between what we see (albedo
  features) and the real landscape. Different
  colors different types of lands. Dark color of
  the areas with impact craters filled with sand
  size dust particles
• Main features Syrtis Major, Polar Caps, clouds,
  global dust storms, Hellas
• Visual observations, drawings and astroimages

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Hubble Space Telescope images

• The most breathtaking and astonishing images ever
  taken from Earth
• Examples

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• Made with WFPC 2
• Valles Marineris
• 4000 km canyons
• Olympus Mons
• 3 times higher than Mount Everest
• Size of Arizona
• Tharsis Bulge
• Solis Lacus
• The Eye of Mars
• Terra Sirenum
• Impact craters
• South Polar Cap
• Carbon dioxide and water ice
• Dust activity streaks
• N.H. home of volcanoes, S. H. place of impact
  craters

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• The two faces of Mars
• Syrtis Major and Hellas Basin in the left image
• The right image see previous slide

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Marsoweb site

• Opportunity for the general public to take place
  in the scientific research of Mars

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More info in the Net (Bibliography)

• NASAs sites Mars Exploration Program with
  tones of images
• Mars Today news and articles about the planet
  every day
• Red Colony
• Mars Society
• Marsoweb invitation to participate in science
  research
• Nine Planets general information of Mars with a
  lot of useful links
• Solar Views - general information of Mars with a
  lot of useful links