...Life on Mars Mars (Greek: Ares), our fourth planet in the Solar system, is named after the ancient roman god of war, Mars. People also called it the “Red Planet” as its surface if covered by iron oxide (loose dust and rock) which gives it a red bright rust colour surface appearance. During the Solar System's formation, Mars was created out of the protoplanetary disk. Also, Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos. Mars’ size is relatively smaller than our Earth and approximately half the size of the Earth; therefore, it takes longer to orbits the Sun (about two Earth years). Mars also has a surface area about the same as the land surface area of Earth. The Earth is about nine times more massive than Mars. Truly, there are some similarities between Mars and Earth which kept our interest to discover this mystery planet over decades. For example, Mars have a relatively thin atmosphere similar to Earth’s. Its atmosphere contains oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon, but proportionally different to our Earth. Moreover, it has similar observable features like volcanoes, valleys, deserts and polar ice caps. Mars’ seasonal cycles are likewise similar to those of Earth as well. These integrated features give rise to our suspect about the past or existing presence of life and many more questions related to its history. As Mars is the neighbour of Earth, its history of ideas about the presence of life has been a controversy issue over decades. Therefore, the research...
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...science within it. Tracy K. Smith uses her poems to draw our attention towards the science used in everyday life. Throughout her book of poems Life on Mars she uses mystical beings or characters to help portray the science around us. Smith starts off the book with a poem called “Sci-Fi” (pg7); having science plainly in the name of the poem she gets the point across that the poem does involve science. With science already in the mind of the reader Smith is able to make any connection she wants in science and literature. This poems focus is on history and the future; “History, with its hard spine & dog-eared Corners, will be replaced with nuance, Just like that dinosaurs gave way To mounds and mounds of ice. Women will still be women, but The distinction will be empty. Sex Having outlived every threat, will gratify Only the mind, which is where it will exist.” where Smith captures the reader’s attention with talking about how dinosaurs once ruled the earth but were wiped extinct by the ice age, and the fact that global warming has taken spotlight in today’s news saying that we will need to come up with a elucidation or we, like the dinosaurs, will become extinct as well. In the poem Smith shares the idea in which scientists have been trying to figure out for years now, finding a livable planet for Earth to inhabit once living conditions become too harsh for life on the planet. Smith goes even a step further saying that when we have the technology to make it to another...
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...watched the CNN news broadcast for What’s next for Mars? Searching for Alien Life on Mars. (CNN [CNN], 2012, p. 1) CNN interviewed Author Lawrence Krauss about what the next steps will be for the rover Curiosity on mars. Lawrence Krauss discussed the different pictures taken from mars so far and the next logical step from here is to either discover past life on mars or even possibly life on mars now. Lawrence Krauss thinks we are cousins of mars and we could actually be Martians. On August 11, 2012 Lex18.com aired the article NASA’s mega rover landed on mars. What’s next? ("Lex18.com," 2012, p. 1) This article only covered on paragraph on what’s next for mars. In that paragraph it states “that the Curiosity rover is on a quest to learn whether the Martian environment could have been favorable for microbial life”.("Lex18.com," 2012, para. 1) The rest of the article just goes on about how and when then Curiosity rover landed. I feel that the CNN news video was more credible because it went into more detail on what the real next step mars will be. The other article wasn’t a video and really didn’t state anything special about the issue. I feel this news headliner was misleading and bare. Plus I couldn’t even find who wrote about it. CNN actually had a credible source, Author Lawrence Krauss. I found that CNN had a better story because it actually talked about what is next for mars and even stated some theories on whether we came from mars ourselves. References CNN (Producer). (2012...
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...Abstract: The evidence for past life on Mars is supported by Steve Ruff and Jack Farmer’s findings about silica deposits on Mars, the Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001, and evidence of past water valleys. Silica deposits from Mars are very similar to deposit formations here on Earth, which were made from biotic processes. Furthermore, Allan Hills 84001 (ALH84001) gives evidence of organic buildups native to ancient Mars. Lastly, valleys on Mars’ surface has evidence of flowing water, shown in outflow channels and sinuous valleys. While it is important to look into the past, SpaceX is looking to the future. Ambitious Elon Musk has plans for building a colony on Mars and allowing humans to be the first interplanetary species....
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...Prehistoric Bacterial Life found from Mars: I wonder if there are still any possible life-forms on Mars From the beginning of time, the universe has always been a mystery to mankind. We have been intrigued by the many wonders of the universe and as time elapsed, technology increased, and the minds of human beings have evolved, extraterrestrial life remains a recurring interest. The rising curiosity of extraterrestrial life has plagued the minds of Scientists to common folk. People have held various theories based on their imagination on what life would resemble. Over time, many great discoveries have been made as well as many excursions into outer space. Planets, stars, galaxies, comets, our moon and sun we’ve discovered. We have advanced enormously within the technology field and this advancement has enabled man to be educated about space and the wonders thereof. However, the greatest question of extraterrestrial life has not been answered. Many of us perceive life forms to be humanlike species or “Cycloptic” (one-eyed) creatures similar to the aliens depicted in Science fiction films. However we fail to realize the life can be as small as bacteria or as enormous as prehistoric creatures like dinosaurs. The planet Mars, is one which is very close to the characteristics of our very own earth and with recent missions to Mars in the search for life I believe that life does exist on Mars upon recent findings and also theories which dictate the requirements for life, the “Habitable...
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...“Mars” Physical Science April 9, 2012 When a person thinks of Mars he may think of many wonders. Some dream of traveling Mars while others simply wonders if there is life on Mars. I will talk about both dreaming and life on Mars, but first I would like to talk about the history of Mars. In 1968, NASA struggled to get the Apollo program back on track in the wake of the devastating launch pad fire on January 27, 1967, that had taken the lives of astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee. While the nation awaited the resumption of the race to the moon, NASA scientist quietly continued their work on the Mars exploration program. At the time, planetary scientists were still grappling with the surprising results of Mariner 4 – a small pile of photographs of a desolate, crater-pocked world that seemed incapable of supporting life. Mariner 9 would complicate the picture, revealing an active planet, with volcanoes, canyons, and channels apparently carved by catastrophic floods. With those discoveries, the prospects for finding life on Mars – or at least evidence of ancient life – would rise again. But in 1968, Mariner 9 was still three years away. NASA’s decision to launch a mission to search for life on Mars was made at a time when few believed there was any life to be found. The Greeks named the planet after Ares, the god of war. The Romans later renamed it after their god of war: Mars. Little more was learned about Mars until the Renaissance, which marked the dawn...
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...The Red Planet, Mars, is a rich destination for scientific discovery. For years scientists and astronauts have studied the formation and atmosphere on Mars through comparisons with Earth, in hope of one day making it habitable for humans. By the end of 2039, NASA aims to put humans on Mars and through future exploration uncover evidence of life, answering one of the “fundamental mysteries of the cosmos” . However this journey requires technology specifically designed to adjust to the alternate atmosphere on Mars. Once humans have landed, precautions must be ensured to minimize the impact of humans. But through this mission, scientists and astronauts can offer greater discoveries to humankind, more than what any robot can observe on Mars. Despite these great expectations, there are even greater consequences of space exploration. The journey to Mars will require extraordinary technology. NASA has predicted that the trip will last approximately six to eight months each way depending on the orbits of Earth and Mars....
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...Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. 2 I. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 3 II. Mars Odyssey Overview and Missions ................................................................................................. 3 III. Launch Vehicles .................................................................................................................................. 4 IV. Aerobraking........................................................................................................................................ 5 V. Instruments ......................................................................................................................................... 6 1. Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) ................................................................................ 6 2. Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) .................................................................................................. 7 3. The Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE) ................................................................. 7 VI. Results ............................................................................................................................................... 8 VII. Legacy .......................................
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...of his theory about canals on Mars and how they might have been a home to intelligent aliens. During that time, it was reasonable to assume Lowell’s theory was preposterous because of the lack of information about Mars. But since the recent discovery of water and our increased knowledge about Mars, Lowell’s argument appears to be a potential source in our search for other worlds. Lowell’s theory about Mars canals should be reviewed and reworked, because it may lead us to the answer behind the search. The idea of canals being on Mars stemmed from an incorrect interpretation by Percival Lowell. The “canals” were first discovered in 1877 by an Italian astronomer,...
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...ar Mars By: Amanda Baker The discovery of Mars is not credited to a single individual, but rather a multitude of astronomers and observers that range from the early Egyptians to the Babylonians, Greeks, and Danish. In the earliest days of Mars observation, all that was known about it was that it appeared to be a fiery red and followed a strange loop in the sky, unlike any other. “The Babylonians studied astronomy as early as 400 BC, and developed advanced methods for predicting astronomical events such as eclipses. They made careful observations for their calendars and religious reasons, but never attempted to explain the phenomena they witnessed. The Babylonians called Mars Nergal - the great hero, the king of conflicts. The Egyptians were the first to notice that the stars seem "fixed" and that the sun moves relative to the stars. They also noticed five bight objects in the sky (Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn) that seemed to move in a similar manner. They called Mars Har Decher - the Red One. Greeks called the planet Ares after their god of war, while the Romans called it Mars. Its sign is thought to be the shield and sword of Mars” (NASA, 2015). Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and referred to as the god of War. The planet probably got this name due to its red color; Mars is sometimes referred to as the Red Planet. Mars has been known since prehistoric times, and of course, it has been extensively studied with ground-based observatories. But even very...
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...habitability on Mars, assuming variable conditions and ingredients favoring life on Mars. Westall et al (2013) analysed certain considerations to hypothesize that the potential emergence of life on Mars over time was not constant. There have been mineralogical and geological evidence supporting the availability of water and as discussed, there may have been possible routes where martian habitability could have flourished. Although there is adequately enough evidence signifying this concept, the study revealed the delicacy in concluding that certain elements and evidence relating to the habitability on Mars would have been in fact heterogeneous throughout its history. This hypothesis provides perceptions into the importance of assessing the habitability of Mars, impacting on the nature and conditions of life which will be critically discussed to support the liberation of heterogeneous conditions on Mars. Westall begins the articles discussing the theory that the appearance of water accelerates the introduction of life. However, he stresses the fact that from a microbial point of view, habitability can be very liable and misleading when assessing the conditions on Mars. A habitable zone can be defined as a rocky planet that can maintain liquid water on its surface (Kasting et al 2013). The importance here in this definition is the maintenance of water on a rocky planet. Westall made valid points when assessing the possible appearance of liquid water on Mars. He discourses the...
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...Midterm Essay – Searching for Life on Mars Is there other life in the universe? The answer to this question has eluded man since he began asking it. Whole philosophies and religions are based on the idea of the answer to that question being either yes or no. In the following we will be discussing a brief background of the habitability of Mars. Then we will discuss an outline of a mission to Mars to search for primitive life. First of all, a brief background of the habitability of Mars. Approximately 3.8 billions years ago, it is thought that Mars was a much warmer place, had a much dense atmosphere and possibly sustained liquid oceans. The probability of life existing in those conditions is much higher than they are today. Mars is now very cold, dry and has a thin atmosphere. This means that the only life which could exist today is primitive microbial life. So how can we find this life? To answer this question a detailed outline of a mission to Mars will be presented. What will we be looking for and where are we looking? Life, Mars. That is the short and sweet answer but it is much more complicated than that. When Mariner 4 flew past Mars it was only looking for evidence of water canals to support ideas of complex life existing on Mars. After returning a barren rocky landscape the notion of complex life was thrown out the window. Since then missions like Viking 1 and 2 have been conducted searching for microbial life. It returned only results which pointed to contamination...
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...based on religious doctrine to those which take a strictly scientific approach. One possibility that leans towards the latter is the panspermia theory which suggests that life did not originate on earth; but rather came to earth from somewhere else in the universe. It is the idea that the ingredients for life are found throughout the universe and are able to initiate life given a habitable environment. While this theory may seem improbable to some, increasing evidence suggests that this idea may have more truth to it than some may believe. In order for life to have come to earth from somewhere else in the universe, it would have had to survive the harshest environment we know of; space. These organisms would have been exposed to massive amounts of radiation, extremely cold temperatures (nearly -273.15ºC), and extreme atmospheric pressure1. When we think of organisms that thrive in the harshest environments on earth we think of extremophiles, and perhaps the most renowned and complex extremophile is the tardigrade. These dry aquatic invertebrates are known to be one of the most resilient species on earth and have received a lot of attention from researchers regarding their potential to survive in space2. Proving that tardigrades have the ability to survive outer space, demonstrates the possibility that life could have traveled through space for extended periods of time without dying. “tardigrades in Space (TARDIS), for example, was the first project planned to evaluate their...
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...Introduction “Earth and Mars have a lot in common. They formed around the same time -- about 4.6 billion years ago -- and, as on Earth, a Martian day lasts about 24 hours (Ross, 2016, p.8). This is one of the many reasons why humans should colonize Mars. Humans should colonize Mars because it is the closest planet to Earth within the habitable zone, also with current technology it is the most feasible planet that is within reach of Earth. Colonizing Mars would help Earth with its problems with resources and space control for humans. Why Mars? The big question to colonizing another planet, is why Mars out of all of the other planets in our solar system? As Thompson (2012) stated, “Mars is more like Earth than any other place in the known universe”...
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...meaning of life and for the meaning of our existence in the solar system. This never ending search for answers is the foundation that our astronomical sciences are based on. One topic that is extremely popular and often over dramatized is the search for other worlds and the possibility of other creatures on those worlds. This topic is accompanied by a lot of controversy due to science fiction and is often belittled as a serious science. However, this search carries an extensive history and can be the key to finally finding and ending our search. By reviewing and reworking past theories and beliefs, such as the Mars Canals, we may be led to the true answer behind the search. The idea...
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