Exploring Details of Mars

Exploring Details of Mars
Choose a topic of your interest in astronomy that we have not covered or covered lightly. Write a 3 page report on it (not including the bibliography and pictures). The paper should explain in detail the topic and should use scientific sources (not just any website is a trusted source).

Introduction and overview of Mars
Mars is picked as the topic or planet for discussion due to the exciting possibilities of habitability on the planet in the solar system. Mars is the fourth planet, and it is seen at night in the sky in the form of glowing as a conspicuous red object. It is the second closest planet to the Earth; the first closest planet is Venus. The solid surface, as well as the atmospheric phenomena of the Mars, can be seen through a telescope when viewed from the Earth (Close, 2009). Studies by earthbound observers, including the spacecraft observations since the 1960s, have indicated that Mars has several similarities to our planet. Some of the similarities are the existence of cloud and the wind in Mars; it has seasonal weather patterns, volcanoes, canyons, and polar ice caps. There are also some fascinating clues indicating that, billion years ago, Mars was closer to Earth than today with more water, and denser and warmer atmosphere (Gregersen, 2010).

Figure 1: Mars image (Gregersen 2010, p.205)

Figure 2: Seasonal water-ice ground frost on Mars (Gregersen 2010, p.214)

Some Astrological exploration information about Mars
Today, Mars is considered as a sterile frozen desert as depicted in Figure 2. However, close-up images tend to show water-eroded gullies superficially (Gregersen, 2010). And this suggests that at least some amount, however small, may have flowed near or on the planetary surface in the recent geological times and may even still exist in the form of liquid in protected regions below the Mars surface. The presence of water on Mars is taken as a significant issue because without water life there would be no existence of life as per the present understanding of life. In case microscopic life-forms originated from the Mars, then there is a chance, though it may be small, that those forms of life may still survive in the today hidden watery niches. In 1996, a team of scientists that studied a meteorite from the Mars reported their conclusion as evidence for the ancient microbial existence of life (Gregersen, 2010). However, this information was not welcomed by many scientists.
Some basic astrological data about Mars
The astrological data has shown that Mars moves around the sun at an average distance of 228 million kilometers (Close, 2009); a distance which is approximated to be 1.5 times the distance of the Earth from the Sun. Mars has a relatively elongated orbit. Thus the distance between the Mars and the Sun ranges between 206.6 million to 249.2 million kilometers. Mars takes 687 Earth days to revolve or orbit the Sun once, and this means that one year on Mars is roughly twice as long as one Earth year. The data has indicated that Mars is less than 56 million kilometers as its closest approach from the Earth. However, it recedes to nearly 400 million kilometers when these two planets are on exactly opposite sides of the solar system (Gregersen, 2010).
It is easy to observe Mars from Earth whenever the Sun and Mars are in opposite directions in the sky, that is to say when they are at opposition. The fact is supported by the reason that at this point; Mars is high in the sky and portrays an entire lighted face. The occurrences of successive oppositions take place in the span of approximately 26 months. Oppositions can occur at various points Martian orbit. The opposition best for viewing takes place whenever the Mars is both closest to the Earth and Sun since at this time the planet is at its largest position and as well brightest (Gregersen, 2010). Close oppositions are experienced after roughly 15 years.
The rotation of Mars on its own axis takes 24 hours 37 minutes. Therefore, a day on Mars is 37 minutes longer than a day on Earth. The axis of rotation of Mars is inclined to its orbital plane by almost 25o, and this tilt causes seasons on the Mars. The Martian year comprises of 668.6 Martian solar days, known sols. Due to the elliptical orbit, southern summers are shorter (lasting for 154 Martian days) and warmer than the summers of the north (that lasts for 178 Martian days). However, it has been observed that the situation is changing, though slowly, and in 25,000 years to come, the North will experience short summers and warmer as well. Moreover, the tilt of the axis is also slowly changing at an approximate of one-million-year timescale. In the present epochs, the obliquity may range between close to zero degrees (a time when Mars experiences no seasons) and as high as 45o (a time when the seasonal difference of the Mars are at the extreme. In over hundred-million-year time-scales the obliquity may go as high as 80o (Gregersen, 2010).
Mars is a small planet; it is only larger than Mercury. Its equatorial radius is 3,396 kilometers and a mean polar radius of 3,379 kilometers (Close, 2009). It gravitational acceleration is 3.72 m/s2 which means that objects on the surface of Mars weigh less than when they are on Earth (Gregersen, 2010). To sum up, there is more information, and some are fascinating, concerning Mars because a plethora of studies has been conducted about the planet.
References
Gregersen, E. (2010). The inner solar system: The sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. New York: Britannica Educational Pub. in association with Rosen Educational Services.
Close, J. S. (2009). Self-evident astrology: Decoding the solar system. Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.