MARS

1. MARS 36+ million miles

2. "EXTRA EXTRA" NASA has issued the following statement: “Beginning January 1, 2058, the planet of Mars will become available for colonization. Make necessary arrangements and be one of the first to live in outer space!” Get your reservation TODAY! All statements on this page are fictional. Comments made are purely for emphasis in the educational lesson plan designed to teach students about the universe and the solar system. All remarks are purely from the imagination of the power point author.

3. What To Know Before You Decide *How long will it take you to get there? *What do you need to take? *What will you eat? *Where will you live? *What will your day look like? *How will you get around? *What is the weather/temperature like? *Will you be able to come back and visit? *How much time will have passed? http://www.the-planet-mars.com/pictures-planet-mars.html

4. Mars has a very thin atmosphere. It’s only about 1/100 the surface pressure of the earth's atmosphere. Martian air is 95% Carbon Dioxide, 3% nitrogen and trace amounts of oxygen and water. There is no ozone layer to block out UV rays. Pale yellowish-pink sky because sunlight is scattered by the gas molecules in the atmosphere. Mars sky is pinkish-orange because dust particles scatter light even more. The density of the Martian atmosphere is only 1% of Earth. Mars density is so low that the carbon dioxide creates only a minor greenhouse effect. Atmosphere http://www.spacetoday.org/SolSys/Mars/MarsThePlanet/MarsStats.html

5. Surface of Mars The surface is covered with red rock and soil. The color is due to the oxidation (rusting) of iron in the rocks and soil. http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/images/browse/mars/olympus.jpg Northern hemisphere: few craters, less erosion, shows lots of geologic activity, surface smoothed by lava flows. Southern hemisphere: heavily cratered, resembles the surface of our Moon. http://www.ztn.net/mars/solarsystem/10-JG-04-hills-A074R1.jpg The largest volcano on Mars is Olympus Mons. This volcano is a massive structure, with a base 600Km (370 mi.) across and towering 25km (16 mi.) high. The valley around Olympus Mons is nearly 2500 mi. long, and at its widest nearly 120 mi. wide. By comparison: it would stretch from New York City to Los Angeles and over four times the depth of the Grand Canyon! http://www.atmos.washington.edu/academic/mars_surface.jpg

6. Water Views of what appears to be dry river beds, meandering streams and even shorelines. Martian rocks show salts like those found in Earth's oceans. These findings suggest a similarity between Earth and Mars and possibility of dried up martian oceans. http://ai.jpl.nasa.gov/public/home/chien/spring-agu-images/MLS/Mars_Ice_Cap.jpg Some of the impact craters on Mars show "splashes" of ejected material suggesting that the soil contained water at some point. Evidence of what appears to have been major floods washed across the Martian surface in a very short period of time. These floods were so severe that they left erosion marks greater than what the flow of the Mississippi River would leave. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0504/WaterOnMars2_gcc_big.jpg

7. http://ails.arc.nasa.gov/Images/Astrobiology/jpegs/AC90-0559-1_a.jpeghttp://ails.arc.nasa.gov/Images/Astrobiology/jpegs/AC90-0559-1_a.jpeg

8. Ice Caps Mars can get so cold that even the carbon dioxide gas freezes. This freezing occurs alternately at each pole, forming a large polar ice cap, made of mostly carbon dioxide ice. http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/cyberspace/planets/mars/images/northpole.jpg Southern Summer: most of the polar ice shrinks as it sublimates and refoms at the northern pole. The opposite change occurs during the northern summer. More ice accumlates at the northern polar cap because southern hemisphere summers are longer and hotter. http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/cyberspace/planets/mars/images/northpolesideview.jpg

9. Weather Dust storms: clocked at speeds of 350 m.p.h. Rain has never been observed on Mars, but it is possible.Clouds are not common and water would boil off due to the low pressure. Snow sometimes falls, and fog, frost, and ice are common in the mornings on Mars. Severe weather changes - One week: the sky is pink and cloudless, it's a warm - 40 degrees F. Within days, the dust is swept from the atmosphere, temperatures drop 40 degrees, and water ice clouds appear in the sky. Mars receives approximately 43% as much sunlight as the Earth. This is why Mars is so cold - although carbon dioxide in its air raises the temperature significantly, due to greenhouse effect. http://www.rps.psu.edu/0305/graphics/price_01.jpg

10. Seasons & Temperature Since Mars has no ozone layer, your skin would be brutally burnt from the effects of solar radiation -- even in the record high temperatures. Mars has a similar axial tilt to that of the earth, which causes it to have seasons just like Earth, though they last about twice as long because the Martian year is almost twice that of Earth. http://www.the-planet-mars.com/education.html

11. Phobos Deimos http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0109/deimos_viking2.jpg http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0108/phobos_vik1_big.jpg Approx. 2 billion years old. Smaller of the two moons Oblong-shaped 28 km x 20 km Orbit Mars in 30.3 hours Covered with dust - appears smoother Compostion similar to meteorites Likely a captured asteroid Approx. 2 billion years old. Larger of the two moons Oblong-shaped 15 km x 12 km Orbit Mars in less than 8 hours Heavily cratered with radiating grooves Compostion similar to meteorites Likely a captured asteroid Moons

12. By Comparison... Half the size of earth Year: 687 days Day: 24 hrs, 37 mins, 23 sec. Distance from sun: average 141.6 million miles Distance from the earth: 33,900,000 - 249,000,000 miles

13. It’s your turn to colonize Mars!! • As individuals, or in groups of 2-3, write a journal entry detailing your preparation for your move to Mars, and/or your first week on Mars. • Take into consideration the things you now know about the “Red Planet” as well as your understanding of what is required for life on Earth. • Use the “Mars Fact Sheet” and the question prompts to give you direction of elements you’ll need to consider. • Be Creative… and share ideas with your classmates!

14. Things to take into Consideration! *How long will it take you to get there? *What do you need to take? *What will you eat? *Where will you live? *What will your day look like? *How will you get around? *What is the weather/temperature like? *Will you be able to come back and visit? *How much time will have passed? http://www.the-planet-mars.com/pictures-planet-mars.html

15. Mars 2058