1. Mars

2. Mythology - (Ares – The god of War)
Mars
(Ares – The god of War)
The Red Planet
Mythology - (Ares – The god of War)
Nickname - The Red Planet

3. Statistics: Distance - 1.5 A.U. From Sun
Size - ~ ½ Diameter of the Earth
Orbital Period = 1.9 Years
Rotation Period = 24.6 Hours
Surface Gravity = .4 of Earths
Image from Viking Lander

4. Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity

5. Spirit and Opportunity Rovers 2004

6. Spirit and Opportunity Video
Mars
Spirit and Opportunity Video

7. Mars Surface Northern Lowlands Olympus Mons Valles Marineris Tharsis
Volcanoes
Hellas
Southern
Highlands

8. Mars is divided in half:
Surface Features:
Mars is divided in half:
Southern Highlands – Very old and cratered
Northern Lowlands – Young – Very few craters
Ice Caps: Composed of mostly Frozen CO2 and some Water
Largest Volcano in the Solar System: Olympus Mons
(3x taller than earths tallest volcano)
Largest Canyon in the Solar System: Valles Marineras
(long as the United States)
Very Dry – Desert Like – Many Sand dunes and rock fields
Dust storms occur that can cover the entire planet
No Longer Geologically Active.
Mars never had Plate Tectonics

9. Mars
Surface Features:
Olympus Mons
Other
Tharsis
Volcanoes

10. Olympus Mons in the Tharsis Region
Mars
Surface Features:
Olympus Mons in the Tharsis Region

11. Topographic Map of Olympus Mons
Mars
Surface Features:
Topographic Map of Olympus Mons

12. Surface Features:Valles Marineras
Mars
Surface Features:Valles Marineras

13. Mars
Valles Marineras
Topographic Map

14. Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity
The Landing site for the Spirit Rover is the Gusev Crater.
This crater was chosen because it appears to have once
had a river flowing into it, and therefore was a crater lake.
Spirit rover is searching for evidence of water to confirm it
was a lake.

15. Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity
Mission Objectives:
Search of Evidence of
Past Water on Mars

16. - Found sedimentary rock - Found Hematite
Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity
Mission Objectives:
Search of proof of Past Water on Mars
Both rovers were successful.
- Found sedimentary rock
- Rock that forms at the bottom of lakes, rivers, and seas
- Found Hematite
- A mineral that ONLY forms in salt water

17. Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity
Sedimentary rock

18. Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity
Hematite

19. Hematite Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity
Hematite crystals are the little “blue berries” in the image

20. Evidence For Water from Space: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter evidence:
Odyssey & MGS Orbiter &
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter evidence:
- Dried Lake and River Beds
- Ancient Shorelines
- Underground Permafrost Layer

21. Mars
River Channels

22. Mars
River Channels

23. Mars
Old
Shorelines

24. Mars
Sedimentary
rock

25. Mars
Current surface water

26. 2 moons; Captured asteroids
Mars
Moons:
Phobos and Deimos
2 moons; Captured asteroids

27. Mars
The Face:
Viking Orbiter images.
1970’s poor resolution

28. Mars Global Surveyor Images.
The Face:
Mars Global Surveyor Images.
2000 high resolution

29. Mars
Smiley Faces:

30. Mars
Other Faces:
Hearts

31. Mars
A Frog:

32. Mars Global Surveyor Images. We can even see the rovers on the Surface

33. Mars Global Surveyor

34. Mars Global Surveyor

35. Mars Global Surveyor
Caves

36. Mars
Sunset on Mars