Since ancient times, mankind has turned its eyes to the stars. But if earlier people turned to celestial bodies only as higher beings, capable of influencing their life with their wonderful properties, now these views have a much more pragmatic character.
Mars in antiquity
The first name the planet received was Ares. So in honor of the god of war they called the red planet, reminding people of the war, the ancient Greeks. At a time when nobody was interested in what was more, Mars or Earth, power was everything. That is why the Greeks were replaced by the ancient Romans. They brought their ideas about the world, life, their names. They also renamed the star, symbolizing evil, cruelty and grief. It was named after the Roman god of war, Mars.
Many centuries have passed since then, it has long been clarified that more, Mars or Earth, it became clear that the planet is far from being as cruel and powerful as the ancient Greeks and Romans imagined, but interest in the planet did not disappear, and every century intensified.
Life on Mars
The first sketch of Mars was made public in 1659 in Naples. Francesco Fontana, a Neapolitan astronomer and lawyer, laid the foundation for a whirlwind of research that has hit the planet through the ages.
Giovanni Schiaparelli in 1877 went around the achievements of the Fountain, making not just a drawing, but making a map of the entire planet. Taking advantage of the Great Confrontation that was taking place, which allowed him to take a close look at Mars, he discovered some channels and dark areas on our solar system neighbor. Without wasting time thinking about which planet is larger: Mars, Earth, humanity decided that these were products of an alien civilization. It began to be considered that canals are irrigation systems that aliens sent to irrigate vegetation zones - those dark areas. Water in the canals, according to the majority, fell from ice caps at the poles of the planet.
The scientist who discovered all these geological objects did not initially mean anything like this. However, over time, under the influence of the enthusiasm of the majority, he believed in such a popular hypothesis. He even wrote the work “On intelligent life on Mars”, where he explained the ideal directness of the channels precisely by the activity of alien farmers.
However, already in 1907, a geographer from Great Britain in his book "Are Mars Inhabited?" refuted this theory using all the studies available at that time. He finally proved that the life of highly organized beings is impossible in principle on Mars, despite the fact that Mars is larger than the Earth or smaller.
The truth about channels
They confirmed the existence of direct, like arrows, channels of the planet’s images in 1924. Surprisingly, most astronomers observing Mars have never seen this phenomenon. Nevertheless, by 1939, by the next Great Confrontation, about 500 channels were counted on the images of the planet.
Everything was finally clarified only in 1965, when the Mariner-4 flew so close to Mars that it was able to photograph it from a distance of only 10 thousand kilometers. These images showed a lifeless desert with craters. All dark zones and channels turned out to be just an illusion caused by distortion during observations with a telescope. There is nothing like this in reality on the planet.
Mars
So still, what's more: Mars or Earth? The mass of Mars is only 10.7% of the mass of the Earth. Its diameter at the equator is almost two times smaller than the earth - 6794 kilometers against 12,756 km. A year on Mars lasts 687 Earth days, a day - 37 minutes longer than ours. There is a change of seasons on the planet, but no one would rejoice in the onset of summer on Mars - this is the harshest season, winds of up to 100 m / s walk around the planet, dust clouds cover the sky, blocking sunlight. However, the winter months also can not please the weather - the temperature does not rise above minus one hundred degrees. The atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide, which in the winter months lies in huge snow caps at the poles of the planet. These hats never completely melt. The density of the atmosphere is only one percent of the earth.
But you don’t need to think that there is no water on the planet - at the foot of the largest volcanic mountain in the solar system - Olympus - huge glaciers of ordinary water have been found. Their thickness reaches one hundred meters, the total area is several thousand kilometers. In addition, formations similar to dried river beds were found on the surface. The results of the study prove that once fast streams of water flowed along these rivers.
Research
In the 20th century, not only unmanned space stations were sent to Mars, but Mars rovers were launched, thanks to which it became possible to obtain soil samples from the red planet. Now we have accurate data on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and surface of the planet, the nature of its seasons, and we have photographs of all regions of Mars. NASA's rovers, reconnaissance satellite, and orbiter have a busy working schedule, in which there is literally not a single minute until 2030.
Prospects
It is no secret that humanity spends huge, just space means on the study of Mars. The answer to the question of which is larger, Mars or Earth, has long been given, but we have not lost interest in this planet. What is the matter? What is so interesting to scientists that states spend such amounts to study the barren desert?
Despite the fact that the presence of rare-earth elements is quite possible, their extraction and transportation to Earth is simply unprofitable. Science for science? It is possible, but not in the situation that is developing now on our own planet, in order to spend resources on the study of empty planets.
The fact is that today, when even a child does not ask about how much Mars is larger than the Earth, the problem of overpopulation of a blue planet is very acute. In addition to the immediate lack of living space, the need for fresh water and food is increasing, and the political and economic situation in all, especially ecologically favorable areas, is deteriorating. And the more active a person lives, the faster we move to disaster.
The idea of the Golden Billion has long been put forward, according to which, one billion people can safely live on Earth. The rest is needed ...
And here Mars can come to the rescue. It is bigger or smaller than the Earth - in this case it is not so important. Its total area is approximately equal to the land area of our planet. Thus, it is quite possible to lodge a couple of billion people on it. The distance to Mars is not critical, the path to it will take much less time than in ancient times occupied from Rome to China. But traders regularly did it. Thus, it remains only to create favorable conditions for the life of earthlings on Mars. And it will be quite possible after some time, because scientific progress is moving forward with giant steps.
And it is not known who will win this competition, Earth and Mars: which is more suitable for life in several decades - the answer to this question lies ahead.