MARS

Background Info

Fourth planet from the Sun
Seventh largest planet
First visited by Mariner 4 in 1964
Visited by Voyager 1 and 2 in 1976
Has two small moons

Facts about Mars

Distance from the Sun:
Diameter:
Rotation period:
Revolution period:
Density (Water=1):
Mass:
Mass (Earth=1):
Volume (Earth=1):
Gravity (Earth=1):
Mean Temperature:
Maximum Temperature:
Minimum Temperature:
Geometric Albedo*:
Apparent Magnitude (Vo):
Axis Tilt:
Orbital Inclination:
Orbital Speed:
Equatorial Escape Veocitiy:
Moons:
Rings:
Atmosphere:

142 million miles (1.52 AU)
4221 miles (6787 km)
24 hours, 37 minutes
687 days
3.9
6.42 x 10^23 kg
0.11
0.15
0.38
210 K (-81 F)
293 K (68 F)
133 K (-220 F)
0.15
-2.01
25.2 degrees
1.9 degrees
24 kmps (14.9 miles/sec)
5.02 kmps (3.1 miles/sec)
2
0
95.3% Carbon Dioxide
2.7% Nitrogen
1.6% Argon
0.4% Other

* fraction of sunlight reflected

More Info about Mars

Life on Mars?

Mars's Moons

Links to other Mars pages

Mars [lanl.gov]

Mars [NASA]

Mars [Nine Planets]

NSSDC Photo Gallery: Mars

RPIF- Mars

Center for Mars Exploration

Mars Meteorites

Pictures

Mythology

In Roman Mythology, Mars was the god of war (the planet Mars was named because of its blood-red color). The Romans regarded their war god with more adoration than the Greeks did Mars's counterpart, the Greek god Ares. This guy's genealogy sounds like something out of a B-grade soap opera (not that any soap rates an A). Let's look at this for a moment. His father, Zeus, was also his uncle. His mother, Hera, was also his aunt (nor was she very loving in either capacity). His brothers and sisters were for the most part also cousins. He only had one set of grandparents (and as long as we're on this topic, he only had one set of great-grandparents as well. How much inbreeding went on here, anyway?). This is the kind of stuff that could have launched the careers of both Sigmund Freud and Jeff Foxworthy! Needless to say, Ares had a nasty disposition; and as the Greeks did not look as favorably on war as the Romans did, it seems fitting that this was his responsibility.

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