Difference between revisions of "Mars"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | [[Image:Mars Hubble.jpg|left|thumb|Photo of Mars taken by the Hubble Space Telescope]] | + | [[Image:Mars Hubble.jpg|left|thumb|Photo of Mars taken by the [[Hubble Space Telescope]]]] |
{{Solarsystem}} | {{Solarsystem}} | ||
'''Mars''' is the third planet from the [[Sun]], after [[Mercury]] and [[Venus]]. It is called "The Red Planet" because it looks red from Earth. | '''Mars''' is the third planet from the [[Sun]], after [[Mercury]] and [[Venus]]. It is called "The Red Planet" because it looks red from Earth. | ||
Mars was known to the antiquities; the Romans even named one of their gods — [[Ares|Mars, the god of war]] — after it. The Romans also knew about Jupiter and Saturn, but it was not until the 17th century that [[William Herschel]] discovered [[Uranus]], and [[Neptune]] and [[Pluto]] took even longer. | Mars was known to the antiquities; the Romans even named one of their gods — [[Ares|Mars, the god of war]] — after it. The Romans also knew about Jupiter and Saturn, but it was not until the 17th century that [[William Herschel]] discovered [[Uranus]], and [[Neptune]] and [[Pluto]] took even longer. | ||
| − | + | [[Image:MarsTopoMap-PIA02031 modest.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Topographic map of Mars.]] | |
Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos (which respectively mean "Fear and "Panic" in [[Greek]]). Russian scientists in the 1950s posited that Phobos might be hollow, but these claims were discredited in the late 1960s. | Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos (which respectively mean "Fear and "Panic" in [[Greek]]). Russian scientists in the 1950s posited that Phobos might be hollow, but these claims were discredited in the late 1960s. | ||
Revision as of 01:53, April 25, 2007
File:Mars Hubble.jpg
Photo of Mars taken by the Hubble Space Telescope
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mars is the third planet from the Sun, after Mercury and Venus. It is called "The Red Planet" because it looks red from Earth.
Mars was known to the antiquities; the Romans even named one of their gods — Mars, the god of war — after it. The Romans also knew about Jupiter and Saturn, but it was not until the 17th century that William Herschel discovered Uranus, and Neptune and Pluto took even longer.
Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos (which respectively mean "Fear and "Panic" in Greek). Russian scientists in the 1950s posited that Phobos might be hollow, but these claims were discredited in the late 1960s.
Recent satellite imagery has shown that Mars has a 3 kilometer deep ice cap around its southern polar region.