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Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Mars the Red PlanetMars the Red Planet

Known to Babylonians !"## yearsKnown to Babylonians !"## years

ago as $Star that %an&ere&' ago as $Star that %an&ere&' 

(he )ree*s referre& to it as $Ares'(he )ree*s referre& to it as $Ares'the go& of %arthe go& of %ar

+omans calle& it ,ars+omans calle& it ,ars

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LocationLocation

Image Courtesy of NASA

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Earth and Mars ComparisonEarth and Mars Comparison3arth3arth ,ars,ars

+a&ius+a&ius "9= *m"9= *m >9 *m>9 *m

ensityensity 111 *g/m111 *g/m

> *g/m> *g/m

)ra;ity)ra;ity >0= m/s>0= m/s22 092 m/s092 m/s22

?ear?ear "1021 &ays"1021 &ays "="0>= &ays"="0>= &ays

3ccentricity3ccentricity #0#9#0#9 #0#>8#0#>8

ayay 28 hours28 hours 28 hr > min28 hr > min

4bli@uity4bli@uity 20812081 210>210>

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Earth and Mars ComparisonEarth and Mars Comparison

Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Mars Surface FeaturesMars Surface Features

Surface Color $+e&'Surface Color $+e&'

eatureseaturesD Im6act CratersIm6act Craters

D Largest ;olcano in theLargest ;olcano in the

solar systemsolar systemE4lym6us ,onsFE4lym6us ,onsF

D Largest Canyon in theLargest Canyon in theSolar SystemSolar SystemEGalles ,arinerisFEGalles ,arinerisF

D Ancient ri;er channelsAncient ri;er channelsD La;a +oc*sLa;a +oc*s

D ust +e&&ish fromust +e&&ish from;olcanic roc*;olcanic roc*

Galles ,arineris

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Mars AtmosphereMars Atmosphere

HnbreathableHnbreathable

(hin(hin

usty! ma*es the s*y 6in*ish! lots ofusty! ma*es the s*y 6in*ish! lots of&ust storms&ust storms

Surface Pressure /1#Surface Pressure /1#thth of 3arth:sof 3arth:sEonly 10" millibarsFEonly 10" millibarsF

Com6osition >1 C4Com6osition >1 C422! N! 01! N! 01Ar! #0 4Ar! #0 422! #0# ! #0# 2244

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Moons of MarsMoons of Mars

,ars has two tiny,ars has two tinymoons name&moons name& $eimos' EPanicF  $eimos' EPanicF  $Phobos' EearF $Phobos' EearF

(he moons are(he moons areirregular an& ;eryirregular an& ;erysmall in si

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Is there Water on Mars?Is there Water on Mars?

%ater is the *ey to life as we *now it%ater is the *ey to life as we *now it

(he north an& south 6oles of ,ars(he north an& south 6oles of ,ars

are co;ere& with thic* ice or frostare co;ere& with thic* ice or frost

Some astronomers about ## yearsSome astronomers about ## years

ago thought there were canals onago thought there were canals on

,ars &ug by intelligent ci;ili

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Previous Mission to MarsPrevious Mission to Mars

Gi*ing an& 2 inGi*ing an& 2 in

>9">9"

D irst 6ictures ofirst 6ictures of

,artian surface,artian surface

Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Previous Mission to MarsPrevious Mission to Mars

Pathfin&er in >>9Pathfin&er in >>9

D +o;ing ;ehicle D+o;ing ;ehicle D

Soourner toSoourner to

e76lore ,artiane76lore ,artiansurfacesurface

Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Current MissionsCurrent Missions

,ars )lobal,ars )lobal

Sur;eyorSur;eyor

D Accom6lishes all theAccom6lishes all the

tas*s of its missiontas*s of its missionD An& still goingAn& still going

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d!sse!d!sse!

isco;ere&isco;ere&

subsurface watersubsurface water

ice near 6olesice near 6oles

(rac* changes of(rac* changes of6olar ice! clou&s6olar ice! clou&s

an& &ust stormsan& &ust storms

)enerate& ma6s of)enerate& ma6s ofra&iation an&ra&iation an&

mineralsminerals

Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Mars RoversMars Rovers

S6iritS6irit

D Lan&e& January !Lan&e& January !

2##82##8

466ortunity466ortunityD Lan&e& January 28!Lan&e& January 28!

2##82##8

Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Mars Reconnaissance r"iter Mars Reconnaissance r"iter 

Launch &ate 2##1Launch &ate 2##1

SA+ASA+AD Shallow +a&arShallow +a&ar

InstrumentInstrument

D Penetrate groun& an&Penetrate groun& an&search for water atsearch for water at&e6ths greater than &e6ths greater than feet0feet0

C+IS,C+IS,

D S6ectrometerS6ectrometerD in& recent traces ofin& recent traces of

waterwater

Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Mars Reconnaissance r"iter Mars Reconnaissance r"iter 

Launch &ate 2##1Launch &ate 2##1

C(MC(M

D Conte7 CameraConte7 Camera

D %i&e area ;iews%i&e area ;iews

i+IS3i+IS3

D igh +esolutionigh +esolution

CameraCamera

D In &e6th stu&y ofIn &e6th stu&y of

areas where waterareas where water

once flowe&once flowe&

Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Future MissionFuture Mission

Phoeni7 - 2##=

K> +o;er,ars Science Laboratory - 2##>

Image Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech