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Course: NASA > Unit 3
Lesson 2: Mars: Ancient observationsTemperature & atmosphere
Created by NASA.
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why is mar's atmosphere thinner than earth's atmosphere?(126 votes)
In addition to the lower gravitational pull to hold onto the atmosphere, Mars has no significant magnetic field to protect its atmosphere from being stripped by the solar wind.(85 votes)
Could a core of a planet be a nonmetal?(8 votes)
No because planets need at least some sort of magnetic field, and metallic cores provide said magnetic fields.(1 vote)
Why does it show white on the top of Mars is it snow?(4 votes)
Intresting question....The white on top of Mars I think is kind of like the North Pole on our earth. It maybe has ice just like our North Pole.(1 vote)
Why do all planets so far away from eachother(2 votes)- Because the planets would then collide and the force pulling planets toward the sun and the force pushing them away from the sun. If that makes sense.(1 vote)
how far is mars from earth(1 vote)- Mars is approximately 54 million km away from Earth(2 votes)
does mars have a North pole and a south pole?(1 vote)- Everything that rotates has a north and south pole(2 votes)
- Earth has a atmosphere .But why is do not pevent the heat?(1 vote)
Earth's atmosphere keeps out a lot more heat than you might expect. Seventy - one percent is absorbed by the earth and its atmosphere!(2 votes)
0:14got me thinking: How would the temperature of Mars change if the Earth DID eclipse Mars? Has this happened before?(1 vote)
The earth CANNOT eclipse mars because the shadow cast by the earth would be so tiny when it reaches mars that you can barely see it
EDIT:i don't know if this is relevant but you could probably SEE the EARTH "transiting" the sun.i.e you could probably see the earth's silhouette from against the sun(2 votes)
So out of curiosity, What is the composition of the martian atmosphere, and how does the composition affect the temperature?(2 votes)
why is mars atmosphere thinner than earth's atmosphere?(1 vote)
0:14Video transcript
(music) Is Mars red hot? Mars may look hot, but don't let its color fool you -- Mars is actually pretty cold! In orbit, Mars is about 50 million miles farther away from the Sun than Earth. That means it gets a lot less light and heat to keep it warm. Mars also has a hard time holding onto the heat it does get. On Earth, much of the sun's heat gets trapped in our atmosphere, which acts like a blanket to keep our planet warm. But Mars' atmosphere is about 100 times thinner than Earth's -- so heat from the sun can easily escape. How easily? If you were standing on the Martian equator at noon, it would feel like summer at your feet, but winter near your head! At night, it's even worse: when the sun goes down, temperatures can plummet to negative triple digits! And beware of cold winter nights, when it could drop even lower! So if you plan to visit, better bring a space suit to keep warm -- Mars really is a pretty 'cool' planet. (rimshot) (music)