What are the surface conditions of the Red Planet like?

KOMPAS.com – Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and has a rusty red appearance which has earned it the nickname the Red Planet.

The Red Planet is a cold desert in the solar system. This planet has a very thin atmosphere.

Phenomenal dust storms can become so large that they engulf entire planets, temperatures can become so cold that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere instantly condenses into snow or frost, and earthquakes on Mars often shake the planet.

It is therefore not surprising that this small planet continues to intrigue scientists and is one of the most explored objects in the solar system.

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Surface of the planet Mars

The Red Planet actually has many colors. Colors such as gold and brown can be seen on the surface.

The reason Mars appears reddish is due to the oxidation or rusting of iron in rocks, regolith (Martian soil), and Martian dust. This dust is kicked up into the atmosphere and makes much of the planet appear red from afar.

Interestingly, although Mars is about half the diameter of Earth, its surface area is almost the same as Earth’s landmass.

Volcanoes, impact craters, crustal movements, and atmospheric conditions such as dust storms have changed the Martian landscape over the years, creating some of the solar system’s most interesting topographical features.

The enormous canyon system, called Valles Marineris, is long enough to extend over 4,800 km. This Martian canyon is 320 km wide and 7 km deep. This is about 10 times the size of the Grand Canyon on Earth.

Read also: A substance that accelerates the production of oxygen from water on Mars discovered

Mars is also home to the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons. This mountain is three times taller than Mount Everest with a base the size of the state of New Mexico.

Mars appears to have had water in the past, with a network of ancient river valleys, deltas and lake beds, as well as rocks and minerals on its surface that could only form in liquid water. Several features suggest that Mars experienced a major flood about 3.5 billion years ago.

There is currently still water on Mars, but the Martian atmosphere is too thin so liquid water cannot survive on the surface for long.

Water on Mars is found in the form of ice just beneath the surface of the polar regions and in the form of salt water, which seasonally flows down hillsides and crater walls.

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2024-01-03 04:00:00
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