A Spectacular color video shows us Mars in very high definition thanks to images from NASA’s MRO probe. Good vision!
Some info on Mars
Mars, with an average radius of 3,390 kilometers, is about half the size of Earth. The Red Planet is on average 228 million kilometers from the Sun, equivalent to 1.5 astronomical units (one “AU” is the Earth-Sun distance, approximately 150 million kilometers).
Mars completes one rotation every 24.6 hours, much like one Earth day (23.9 hours). Martian days are called “sols” and a year on Mars lasts 669.6 sols, equivalent to 687 Earth days. The rotation axis is tilted 25 degrees relative to the plane of its orbit around the Sun, another similarity to Earth, which has an axial tilt of 23.4 degrees. Mars has distinct seasons, but they last longer than Earth’s seasons as it takes longer to orbit the Sun. Additionally, the length of the seasons varies due to the elliptical, egg-shaped orbit.
Valles Marineris and Olympus Mons
Mars is home to breathtaking geological wonders. A large canyon system, called Valles Marineris, extends for 4,800 kilometers: at its widest point it measures 320 kilometers and 7 kilometers at its deepest point. It’s about 10 times larger than the Grand Canyon on earth.
Furthermore, the Red Planet is the home of the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons: it is 25 kilometers high and has a base with a diameter of 600 kilometers. Our planetary neighbor is a world yet to be discovered!
Have you ever thought about visiting the Red Planet? What fascinates you most? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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