Let's learn about the physical properties, internal structure, geology and orbit of Mars

Let's learn about the physical properties, internal structure, geology and orbit of Mars

Let's take a look at the physical properties, internal structure, geology and orbit of Mars, which is the fourth smallest planet in the solar system after Mercury in order of distance from the sun, and got its name in honor of the god of war in Roman mythology.

 

The rotational and seasonal cycles are similar to those of the Earth. Because gradients create seasons. Mars is home to Mount Olympus, the largest and highestknown mountain and volcano in the solar system, and the Marinaris Valley, one of the largest canyons in the solar system. The northern hemisphere's flat boreal basin covers 40% of the Earth and may be a hallmark of massive impacts.

 

Mars is not only easily visible to the naked eye from Earth, but also has a red color. On the surface it looks like a dead planet, but it is not. The sand dunes are still swaying in the Martian wind, the polar ice caps change with the seasons, and there seems to be a little water flowing through the seasons.

 

Mars physical properties

Mars is a slightly ellipsoid with an equatorial diameter of 6,794.4 km and a pole diameter of 6,752.4 km. Very precise micrometer measurements showed a flatness three times greater than the Earth, with a value of 0.01. Because of this flattening, the axis of rotation is subject to slow precession due to the sun's gravitational pull on the planet's equatorial bulge. The Moon's precession, which is twice that of the Sun on Earth, has no equivalent on Mars.

 

With this diameter, its volume is 15% Earth's and its mass is about 11%. As a result, Mars is less dense than Earth and its gravity is 38% of Earth's. The reddish-orange appearance of the surface is due to iron oxides or rust. Depending on the minerals present on the surface, they may also appear in other colors such as gold, brown, beige or green.

 

Mars internal structure

Like Earth, Mars has a distinctly dense metallic core covered with a less dense material. Current models suggest a core with a radius of approximately 1,794 ±65 km, composed mainly of iron and nickel with approximately 16-17% sulfur. This iron sulfide core is thought to contain twice as many lighter elements as Earth. The nucleus is surrounded by a mantle. The most abundant elements in the Martian crust, along with silicon and oxygen, are iron, magnesium, aluminum, calcium, and potassium. The average thickness of the planet's crust is about 50 km, with a maximum thickness of 125 km. The average thickness of the crust is 40 km.

 

Martian geology

Mars is a rocky planet made up of minerals that usually contain silicon, oxygen, metals and other elements that make up rocks. The surface of Mars is mainly composed of basalt with a high iron oxide content, which gives the surface its characteristic red color. In its characteristics, it is similar to limonite. Some areas are more silicon-rich than basalt and may resemble Earth's andesite or silicon glass. Some parts of the southern mountainous regions have detectable amounts of pyroxene.

 

Mars is a noticeably smaller planet than Earth. Its main characteristics are 53% diameter, 28% surface area, and 11% mass relative to the Earth. Because the oceans cover about 70% of the Earth's surface and Mars doesn't have oceans, both planets have about the same amount of walkable surface.

 

Mars Orbit

Mars' axial tilt is 25.19°with respect to its orbital plane, similar to Earth's. As a result, Mars has the same seasons as Earth, but because the orbital period is much longer, the seasons are almost twice as long as on Earth.

 

Mars has a relatively steep orbital eccentricity of about 0.0989 between aphelion and perihelion, and the planet's distance from the sun differs by about 42.4 million km. Of the other planets in the solar system, only Mercury has a greater orbital eccentricity. This effect has a huge impact on the Martian climate.