The solar system consists of a star called the Sun with nine planets rotating and revolving around it. The planets of our solar system are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. At the advanced level, the solar system includes the satellites of the planets; numerous comets, asteroids, meteoroids, and the interplanetary medium.
The Sun is the major source of electromagnetic energy (mostly in the form of heat and light) in the solar system. The Suns nearest known stellar neighbor is a red dwarf star called Proxima Centauri, at a distance of 4.3 light years away. A light year is a unit of astronomical distance equivalent to the distance that light travels in one year, equivalent to 6 trillion miles or 9.6 trillion km.
The whole solar system, together with the local stars visible on a clear night, orbits the center of our home galaxy, a spiral disk of 200 billion stars we call the Milky Way. The Milky Way has two small galaxies orbiting it nearby, which are visible from the southern hemisphere. They are called the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud. The nearest large galaxy is the Andromeda Galaxy. It is a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way but is 4 times as massive and is 2 million light-years away.
Our galaxy, one of the billions of galaxies known, is traveling through intergalactic space. The planets, most of the satellites of the planets, and the asteroids revolve around the Sun in the same direction, in nearly circular orbits. When looking down from above the Suns the North Pole, the planets orbit in a counter-clockwise direction. The planets orbit the Sun in or near the same plane called the ecliptic. Pluto is a special case in that its orbit is the most highly inclined (18 degrees) and the most highly elliptical of all the planets.
Because of this, for part of its orbit, Pluto is closer to the Sun than Neptune. The axis of rotation for most of the planets is nearly perpendicular to the ecliptic. The exceptions are Uranus and Pluto, which are tipped on their sides. The mystery of this space science is certainly beyond human comprehension and definitely beyond scope of this column. Scientists, around the years, are working to uncover these mysteries but instead are discovering more mysteries, a case of the more you look, the less you understand. You cannot, but marvel at the supreme and perfect design of the cosmos.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the four innermost planets in the solar system. They are called terrestrial planets because of their compact, rocky surfaces. The planets, Venus, Earth, and Mars have significant atmospheres while Mercury has almost none. The other planets; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called the Jovian (Jupiter-like) planets This is because they are all gigantic compared to our planet, Earth, and they have a gaseous nature like Jupiters. The Jovian planets are also referred to as the gas giants, although some or all of them might have small solid cores.
Over the past five decades, a myriad of space explorers has gone out of the Earths atmosphere discovered our planetary neighbors and their numerous satellites.My article on Apollo II: Marking 60 years of mans terrestrial romance with space published on 2nd September 2021 discussed the manned planetary mission to the moon, which were done successfully. The Apollo program of the United States landed people on the moon.
Six missions landed men on the Moon, beginning with Apollo 11 in July 1969. Apollo 13 was intended to land, but couldnt due to a malfunction aboard the spacecraft. All nine manned missions returned safely to the Earth. Countries leading in spacecraft technologies are USA, Russia, China, Japan and India. While the USA focused on the manned Apollo program, the Soviet Union focused on unmanned missions that deployed rovers and returned samples to the Earth. Three rover missions were launched, of which two were successful, and eleven samples return flights were attempted with three successes. After recording successes on the moon mission, the next challenge taken by the astronomers is the mission to mars.
Mars is the next simple destination after the moon mission for scientific discovery and robotic and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Mars formation and evolution are comparable to that of earth; therefore scientific study of Mars can help us learn more about our own planets history and future. Already some of the observations on Mars show conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration might uncover evidences of the fundamental mysteries of human existence and galaxies. This why the mans attention is focused on mars in the last 50 years.
As mentioned, mars is the fourth planet from the sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. It is sometimes called the Red Planet because of the iron oxide prevalent on its surface, which gives it a reddish appearance. Mars as one of the terrestrial planets has a thin atmosphere, with surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps of Earth.
The rotational period and seasonal cycles of Mars are similar to those of Earth. Mars is the site of Olympus Mons, the largest volcano and second-highest Known Mountain in the Solar System. The smooth Borealis basin in the northern hemisphere covers 40% of the planet and may be a giant impact feature. Mars has two moons orbiting around it, Phobos and Deimos, they are small and of irregularly shaped. These could be captured asteroids, similar to 5261 Eureka, a Mars trojan.
Physically, Mars is approximately half the diameter of Earth and its surface area is only slightly less than the total area of Earths dry land. Mars is less dense than Earth, having about 15% of Earths volume and 11% of Earths mass, resulting in about 38% of Earths surface gravity. Studies have revealed that the red-orange appearance of the Martian surface is caused by iron (III) oxide.
The space station also advances our understanding of how the body changes in space and how to protect astronaut health. Is mans mission to the Mars possible?
(To be continued next week)
Related
See the original post here:
Solar system: Mission to live on mars - Blueprint Newspapers Limited
- This little rover will ride shotgun on Japan's ambitious Mars moon sample-return mission - Space.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Lawmakers announce caucus focused on space and planetary science - NBC News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The science value of Mars Sample Return - The Planetary Society - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Study determines the original orientations of rocks drilled on Mars - MIT News - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- The secret history of water on Mars: What ancient climate change tells us about the future on Earth - Salon - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Bridging the cultural divide for moon to Mars - SpaceNews - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Mars was once a cradle for life, according to scientists - Earth.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Curiosity Rover is Climbing Through Dramatic Striped Terrain on Mars - Universe Today - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Sols 4114-4115: Bingo! It's Official Curiosity's 40th Successful Drill Hole on Mars! NASA Mars Exploration - NASA Mars Exploration - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Will NASA be able to return Mars samples to Earth? New audit raises doubts - Space.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- NASA Discovery Could Mean Mars Had Life-Supporting Hydrothermal Vents - Syfy - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Perseverance rover spots Ingenuity helicopter's snapped-off rotor blade on Mars (photos) - Space.com - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- NASA's Mars Sample Return Program struggles to get off the drawing board - The Register - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- NASA Eyes New Operating Plan For Mars Sample Return Mission - Aviation Week - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Scientists find unexpected biomolecule on Mars that could have triggered life on the red planet - WION - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Mythical Retellings, Mars Colonies, and Reincarnated Lovers: March's Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books - Literary Hub - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Bruno Mars adding 12 new Las Vegas performances, opens The Pinky Ring - KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Contact restored with NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter - UPI News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Massive deposits of water ice discovered on the equator of Mars - EL PAS USA - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Do we have to go to Mars to see the Martian Mountains? - Tehran Times - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA lost contact with its Mars helicopter. - The Verge - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- MICK MARS Shows Off His Guitar Collection - "I'm A Tone Guy, Even Though I'm Half Deaf Now"; Video - bravewords.com - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars Opens Transformative $42m Snacking Research and Development Hub in Chicago - PR Newswire - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA lost contact with Mars helicopter Ingenuity, then managed to find it again - The Register - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mick Mars Explains What Set Mtley Cre Apart from Other '80s Bands, Recalls Why They Decided to Tune Down - Ultimate Guitar - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Suspected Small Oceans Worth of Ice Found Under Surface of Mars - High Times - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars Express Finds New Evidence for Ice-Rich Layered Deposits in Medusae Fossae - Sci.News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mysterious patch on Mars appears to be enormous lump of ice - New Scientist - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Solvents may pave way for building on Mars and the moon - Futurity: Research News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- A Massive Amount of Water Ice Has Been Found on Mars, Lurking Beneath The Equator - ScienceAlert - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA says it's reestablished contact with the Ingenuity Mars helicopter - Engadget - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars senior executive reveals his best career hack for climbing the corporate ladder: Stop fixating on that promotion. Worry about learning, not your... - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA has lost communication with the Ingenuity Mars helicopter - Digital Trends - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- ESA's Mars Express orbiter discovers ice water deposits at the Red Planet's equator - Euronews - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- McLean-based Mars opens new R&D hub focused on chocolate - Washington Business Journal - The Business Journals - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars Opens Snacking Research And Development Hub In Chicago | ESM Magazine - ESM European Supermarket Magazine - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- The Ice Sheet on Mars is Even Thicker Than Previously Believed - Universe Today - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Seas of water ice may sit underground at Mars equator - New Atlas - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Scientists Discover Enough Mars Ice to Cover Planet in Water - Futurism - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Before Their Time Vol. 3. In the NBAs history, many players have | by Mars Robinson | SportsRaid | Jan, 2024 - Medium - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Winter crops damaged by weather across Europe: MARS - AgriCensus - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Frozen Water Discovered on Mars Could Fill Red Sea - Newsweek - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Early Mars Climate was Complex, with Streams Flowing Intermittently for Millions of Years - Universe Today - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- NASA announces its reconnected with helicopter stationed on Mars - TweakTown - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- US regains contact with Ingenuity mini-helicopter on Mars - The National - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mars Spirit and Opportunity rovers celebrate 20 years of exploration - Earth.com - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Martian water reservoir changes our perception of the Red Planet - BGR - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- New map of ice on Mars could help NASA decide where to send future astronauts - Space.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Detailed Mars Water Map Shows Where to Land Future Explorers - Gizmodo - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Daily briefing: A unique layer of molten rock envelops Mars's core - Nature.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Book review: A City on Mars, by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith - The New York Times - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- WPIAL Class 4A football roundup: Late TD lifts Mars to Greater Allegheny Conference title - TribLIVE.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- NASA Is Locating Ice on Mars With This New Map - NASA - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Curiosity rover discovers new evidence Mars once had 'right ... - Space.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- NASA's Ingenuity helicopter aces longest Mars flight in 18 months - Space.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- How AI could help the hunt for life on Mars - Big Think - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Mars Hill's rally deals blow to Scottsboro's chances of being 5A ... - Jackson County Sentinel - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Breakthrough Kidney Stone Procedure Makes It Possible For ... - Slashdot - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- 'People think Gen Z are from Mars' why workplaces must reassess ... - People Management Magazine - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Graffiti mars schools and park - The Acorn - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Le Mars teen charged for OWI and eluding - nwestiowa.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Mars livestream: ESA to beam first ever live view from the red planet - Business Insider - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Mars declared unsafe for humans to live as no one can survive for longer than four years - UNILAD - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- How astronauts heading to Mars could enjoy fresh produce and grill meat - KSL.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Here is the first livestream from Mars a rare, almost real-time look ... - NPR - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- 20 years of Mars Express: Mars as never seen before - European Space Agency - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- See Mars buzz the dense stars of the Beehive Cluster tonight - Space.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Mars helicopter Ingenuity went silent for 6 'agonizing' days in April - Space.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Sols 3845-3847: 30 Kilometers and Counting! NASA Mars ... - NASA Mars Exploration - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- A Mighty Martian River? Latest Astonishing Discovery by NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover - SciTechDaily - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- What Created This Mini Book-Shaped Rock on Mars? - Scientific American - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Seismic Waves Help Map the Core of Mars for the First Time - Universe Today - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Life Probably Didn't Have a Hand in Creating Organic Deposits on ... - Universe Today - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Mars Has A Crust Thicker Than Earth's And A Radioactive Heat Source - IFLScience - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- UC Davis Health nurse chosen for NASA's yearlong Mars analog ... - UC Davis Health - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- How to Grow Rice on Mars - Modern Farmer - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The Long-Awaited Mission That Could Transform Our ... - The Wire Science - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Making The Case For All-Female Exploration Missions To Mars And ... - Hackaday - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Fox Chapel baseball breaks through with playoff win over Mars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- USAID and Mars, Incorporated Announce Donation of $4 Million to ... - USAID - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]