There was a time when humans used to think that life is and only could be possible on Earth. But from time to time, as our technology got better and we conducted more space exploration missions, we came to some theories that we are not alone in the Universe. There are other planets and other Universes too where life might be possible. There could be many Earths like ours where life already exists. It’s just the distance that neither they can reach us nor we can reach them. But as our aspirations and technologies are growing, the time is not far when we discover a similar habitable planet where life could be possible.
In the present time, we are exploring our solar system and the universe more. There is still much to dig into our own solar system, and the fact remains that we know very little.
What’s MARS?
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System, located between Earth and Jupiter. It takes 687 Earth days to orbit around the Sun.
Why is Mars Red?
Mars’ surface contains iron, and the soil has iron oxide dust. When they are exposed to the atmosphere, they turn reddish. That’s why Mars is often called “The Red Planet.”
What’s the atmosphere of Mars?
As compared to Earth, Mars has a very thin atmosphere, mostly comprising of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrogen, and Argon. It also has some amount of oxygen and water vapour. However, currently, Mars does not have enough oxygen for humans to survive.
Seasons on Mars:
Mars also experiences four seasons like Earth, with polar ice caps, volcanoes, canyons, and weather patterns.
Size and Structure of Mars:
Compared to Earth, Mars is a smaller planet, being half the size of Earth, making it the second smallest planet in our solar system (Mercury is the smallest). Its diameter is about 6,791 kilometres. Mars can be termed as a rocky planet, and it boasts the highest mountain in the solar system, named Olympus Mons, which is also a volcano. There are multiple crater-like structures on Mars that remain undiscovered. Currently, Mars’ surface is cold and deserted. Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos.
Why the name “MARS”?
Mars is named after the beliefs of the Romans. It was named after the Roman God of War because of its red surface, resembling the color of blood.
Popular Martian Theories:
You might have seen or heard the name of the movie “The Martian,” which is a very famous movie that showed how a man survives on Mars. From recent times, there have been multiple theories about Mars.
Ancient Civilization Theory:
In the 1800s, people observed canal-like structures on the Martian surface, leading many to claim that an alien species might have lived there. Just north of the Martian equator, there is a 45km wide crater where scientists think that this may have been a site of an ancient lake. Also, at Jezero Crater, scientists theorize that there’s frozen soil, leading to speculation about the possibility of an ancient civilization existing before Earth. This has given rise to multiple Martian stories.
Life came from Mars to Earth:
Mars has a similar geological past to Earth, suggesting that life could have existed there 3 billion years ago when Mars’ atmosphere was much thicker. Some scientists claim that we may all be Martians, as they think life could have traveled from Mars to Earth. They have provided evidence of minerals/elements related to the origin of life on Earth that could only be found on the Martian surface.
Despite these theories, the question arises: Is life possible on Mars?
Currently, the atmosphere of Mars is not habitable, as it is very thin and cannot shield us from cosmic radiation. Additionally, the temperature on Mars is around -60 degrees Celsius, which is not suitable for humans. There is only 0.174% oxygen available on Mars currently, which is very little.
Dust storms are also quite common on Mars, and they can blow up anything made by humans on the Martian surface. Dust storms can destroy many things, and earthquakes on Mars, known as Marsquakes, regularly shake the planet, which is dangerous for humans.
Despite these challenges, space agencies around the globe are sending many missions to Mars. Elon Musk has even proposed plans to make Mars habitable by sending nukes to warm up the planet and create tiny artificial suns. NASA’s rovers like Perseverance and Curiosity, lander Insight, and helicopter Ingenuity have been conducting discoveries on Mars. UAE’s HOPE mission, China’s Tianwen-1, and Europe and India’s missions on Mars are also contributing to various research on the planet.
All these discoveries and theories about Mars are very interesting, as they suggest that there are still many mysteries left undiscovered on Mars. Was there an ancient civilization on Mars? Were they more civilized than us? If yes, then how did they disappear? Did someone attack them, or did they vanish due to the planet’s atmospheric activities? Many questions remain unanswered, and we can hope that in the near future, we may find some of the answers.
Article Credit: Skywalker
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