Travelers of the Future, Beware! Mars is no place for the faint-hearted. Arid, rocky, cold and apparently lifeless, the Red Planet offers few hospitalities.Mars: An Extreme PlanetMars - of course, nothing on Earth comes close to the extreme conditions on the red planet.Earth/Mars Comparison
Mars
Earth
Average Distance from Sun
142 million miles
93 million miles
Average Speed in Orbiting Sun
14.5 miles per second
18.5 miles per second
Diameter
4,220 miles
7,926 miles
Tilt of Axis
25 degrees
23.5 degrees
Length of Year
687 Earth Days
365.25 Days
Length of Day
24 hours 37 minutes
23 hours 56 minutes
Gravity
.375 that of Earth
2.66 times that of Mars
Temperature
Average -81 degrees F
Average 57 degrees F
Atmosphere
mostly carbon dioxide some water vapor
nitrogen, oxygen, argon, others
# of Moons
2
1If you dream of going, here's what to expect:
"Mars" here on Earth: If you want to know what it might be like to spend time in the Martian environment ,then there are some of the places for you on the earth where you can practice for that .Other places on Earth that can help us understand Mars include:
Death Valley, California, where Ubehebe crater and "Mars Hill" have geologic features similar to those on Mars
Mono Lake, California, which is a 700,000-year-old evaporative lake that compares to Gusev Crater, a basin on Mars where water once was likely
Channeled Scabland in Washington, where catastrophic floods swept through the land much like what happened long ago in the Ares Vallis flood plain where Mars Pathfinder landed
Permafrost in Siberia, Alaska and Antarctica, where subsurface water-ice and small life forms exist
Volcanoes in Hawaii, which are like those on Mars, though much smallerMars Atlas Find your way around the Red Planet.So for the next time Fans of extreme sports can rejoice, however, for the Red Planet will challenge even the hardiest souls among us. Home to the largest volcano in the solar system, the deepest canyon and crazy weather and temperature patterns, Mars looms as the ultimate lonely planet destination.
Mars
Earth
Average Distance from Sun
142 million miles
93 million miles
Average Speed in Orbiting Sun
14.5 miles per second
18.5 miles per second
Diameter
4,220 miles
7,926 miles
Tilt of Axis
25 degrees
23.5 degrees
Length of Year
687 Earth Days
365.25 Days
Length of Day
24 hours 37 minutes
23 hours 56 minutes
Gravity
.375 that of Earth
2.66 times that of Mars
Temperature
Average -81 degrees F
Average 57 degrees F
Atmosphere
mostly carbon dioxide some water vapor
nitrogen, oxygen, argon, others
# of Moons
2
1If you dream of going, here's what to expect:
"Mars" here on Earth: If you want to know what it might be like to spend time in the Martian environment ,then there are some of the places for you on the earth where you can practice for that .Other places on Earth that can help us understand Mars include:
Death Valley, California, where Ubehebe crater and "Mars Hill" have geologic features similar to those on Mars
Mono Lake, California, which is a 700,000-year-old evaporative lake that compares to Gusev Crater, a basin on Mars where water once was likely
Channeled Scabland in Washington, where catastrophic floods swept through the land much like what happened long ago in the Ares Vallis flood plain where Mars Pathfinder landed
Permafrost in Siberia, Alaska and Antarctica, where subsurface water-ice and small life forms exist
Volcanoes in Hawaii, which are like those on Mars, though much smallerMars Atlas Find your way around the Red Planet.So for the next time Fans of extreme sports can rejoice, however, for the Red Planet will challenge even the hardiest souls among us. Home to the largest volcano in the solar system, the deepest canyon and crazy weather and temperature patterns, Mars looms as the ultimate lonely planet destination.
