An Overview of Mars
Mars is the fourth
planet from the Sun and is the seventh largest of the solar
system. It has 2 moons, Phobos and Deimos.
Planet Profile
Physical Data
Mars |
Earth |
|
| Mass (kg) | 6.421x1023 | 59.8x1023 |
| Equatorial diameter (km) | 6,794 | 12,756 |
| Mean density (gm/cm3) | 3.94 | 5.52 |
| Mean distance from the Sun (km) | 227,940,000 | 149,600,000 |
| Rotational period (hours) | 24.6229 | 23.9352 |
| Rotational period (days) | 1.025957 | 1.00 |
| Orbital period (days) | 686.98 | 365.25 |
| Equatorial surface gravity (m/sec2) | 3.72 | 9.8 |
| Equatorial escape velocity (km/sec) | 5.02 | 11.2 |
| Minimum surface temperature | -140° C (-220° F) | -73° C (-100° F) |
| Mean surface temperature | -63° C (-81° F) | 4° C (40° F) |
| Maximum surface temperature | 20° C (68° F) | 56° C (132° F) |
Atmospheric Composition
Gas |
Mars |
Earth |
| Carbon Dioxide (C02) | 95.32% | 0.033% |
| Nitrogen (N2) | 2.7% | 78.08% |
| Argon (Ar) | 1.6% | 0.934% |
| Oxygen (O2) | 0.13% | 20.95% |
| Carbon Monoxide (CO) | 0.07% | <0.00011% |
| Water (H2O) | 0.03% | up to 4.0% |
Moons
Location of Mars in the night sky
