The god of war Mars in the ancient Roman pantheon was considered the father of the Roman people, the guardian of fields and pets, then the patron of equestrian competitions. The fourth planet from the Sun is named after him. Probably, the blood-red appearance of the planet caused the first observers to associate with war and death. Even the satellites of the planet received the corresponding names - Phobos ("fear") and Deimos ("horror").
Red riddle
Each planet has its own puzzles, but not one of them has intrigued humans like Mars. For a long time, the unusual red appearance of the planet remained inexplicable; the temperature on Mars was also interesting, and its color does not depend on it. Today every schoolchild knows that the abundant content in the Martian soil of iron minerals gives it such a color. And in the past there were some questions that the most inquiring minds of earthlings sought answers to.
Cold planet
By its age, this planet is the same as the Earth and other neighbors in the solar system. Scientists suggest that her birth occurred 4.6 billion years ago. And although not everything is clear in the history of the planet’s development, much has already been established, including the temperature on Mars.
More recently, large thicknesses of ice deposits have been discovered at the poles in both hemispheres. This is evidence that liquid water once existed on the planet. And the temperature of Mars may have been completely different. Many scientists suggest that if there is ice on the surface, then the water should be preserved in the rocks. And the presence of water is a confirmation that life used to be here.
It has been established that the planet’s atmosphere has a density 100 times lower than the Earth’s. But despite this, clouds and wind form in the layers of the Martian atmosphere. Huge dust storms sometimes rage over the surface.
What temperature on Mars is already known, and thanks to the data obtained, we can conclude that the red neighbor is much colder than on Earth. In the region of the poles, the lowest temperature was recorded in winter , -125 degrees Celsius, and the highest in summer reaches +20 degrees in the equator.
What is different from Earth
There are many differences between the planets, some of them quite substantial. Mars in size is much inferior to the Earth, twice. And the planet is located much further from the Sun: the distance to the star is almost 1.5 times further than that of our planet.
Since the mass of the planet is relatively small, the force of gravity on it is almost three times less than on Earth. On Mars, as well as on our planet, different seasons are observed, but their duration is almost twice as long.
Unlike the Earth, Mars, whose air temperature averages -30 ...- 40 ° , has a very rarefied atmosphere. Its composition is dominated by carbon dioxide, which suggests the absence of a greenhouse effect. Therefore, during the day the temperature on Mars near the surface changes significantly. For example, at noon it can be -18 ° C, and in the evening - already -63 ° C. At night, the temperature was recorded at the equator and 100 degrees below zero.