Ch. 8 Mars

Question 1

Physical characteristics

1. Diameter
2. Avg dist from Sun
3. Mass
4. Orbital pd
5. Rotational pd
6. # of moons
7. Magnitude

Answer 1

1. Diameter = 1/2 X earth
2. Avg dust from Sun = 1 1/2 X earth
3. Mass = 1/10 X earth
4. Orbital pd = 687 earth days
5. Rotational pd = 24.6 earth hours
6. # of moons = 2
7. Magnitude = +1.8 - +2.9

Question 2

Axial tilt

Answer 2

25 degrees

Question 3

Seasons

Answer 3

Similar to earth ‘s seasons

Question 4

Why is it red?

Answer 4

• From iron oxide in soil

- literally rusty

Question 5

Dark surface

Answer 5

“Canali” (channels)

Question 6

What does Canali indicate?

Answer 6

Mars has a similar rotation pd to earth

Question 7

Surface features (3)

Answer 7

• currently dry
• broad plains, shallow craters, extinct volcanoes, long canyons
• bc mars has weaker gravity, it’s surface features = more extreme than earth’s

Question 8

Vastitas borealis

Answer 8

Northern lowland

Question 9

Southern highlands (2)

Answer 9

• heavily cratered

- hilly plains

Question 10

Mariner valley location (3)

Answer 10

• between hemispheres
• begins with heavily-fractured terrain in west
• ends with ancient-cratered terrain in east

Question 11

Mariner valley size

Answer 11

1/5 circumference of mars

Question 12

Mariner valley origin

Answer 12

Believed to be a large crack that formed as planet cooled

Question 13

Impact craters location

Answer 13

Most located in southern hemisphere

Question 14

Location of volcanoes

Answer 14

Most in northern hemisphere

Question 15

Olympus mons (2)

Answer 15

• largest volcano in s.s.

- 3X height of mt. Everest

Question 16

Other “artificial” features (3)

Answer 16

Photos have shown:

1. Pyramids
2. Skull
3. Happy face

Question 17

Interior of mars (2)

Answer 17

• evidence of ancient plate tectonics, but no activity today

- more solid than earth’s

Question 18

Magnetic field (2)

Answer 18

• lacks a global magnetic field

- tectonic activity & magnetic field ended about 4b years ago

Question 19

Atmosphere Makeup (2)

Answer 19

• 95% CO2

- 5% nitrogen, argon, and oxygen

Question 20

Atmosphere Characteristics (2)

Answer 20

• composition similar to Venus and ancient earth

- Gravity = too weak to hold water vapor

Question 21

surface pressure

Answer 21

0.6% of earth’s

Question 22

Dust (2)

Answer 22

• warm surface creates dust devils

- erodes surface features

Question 23

no water, but ice

Answer 23

w/e water that was left on mars, as it cooled, froze into ice

Question 24

watery past (3)

Answer 24

• evidence there was once ocean in n. hemisphere
• most ice in polar caps = water ice
• rest is dry ice

Question 25

SNC meterorites

Answer 25

pieces of mars that land on earth

Question 26

Mar's moons (2) and type of rotation

Answer 26

1. Phobos (lg moon) 2. Deimos (sm moon) - synchronous rotations

Question 27

Phobos (3)

Answer 27

- larger, inner moon - orbits 3X/martian day - rises in west, sets in east

Question 28

Deimos (4)

Answer 28

- smaller, outer moon - less heavily cratered - takes about 3 martian days to set - rises in east

Question 29

Spacecraft visitors (4) (altogether 8)

Answer 29

1. mars 1 & 3 2. Mariner 4 & 9 3. Viking 1 & 2 4. Phobos 1 & 2

Question 30

mars global surveyor (2)

Answer 30

- launched by U.S. | - photos showed liquid water in 2 craters

Question 31

mars pathfinder

Answer 31

consisted of lander and lightweight wheeled robotic mars rover (Sojourner)

Question 32

mars exploration rover A (2)

Answer 32

- 1st of 2 launched = spirit | - stuck in 2009

Question 33

mars exploration rover B (2)

Answer 33

- 2nd of 2 launched = opportunity | - still active

Question 34

curiosity

Answer 34

-powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generator