ABC Mars Fact Sheet

Earth  Mars ABC’s


Equatorial diameter 

Earth 12,756 km (7,926 miles)             Mars 6,786 km (4,217 miles)


Length of Year

Earth  365 ¼ days (24 hr length of day)         Mars 687 Earth Days (24 hr, 37 minutes length of day)


Distance from Sun  (in millions)


Earth  147.1-152.1 km (91.4-94.5 mi)         Mars  206.6-249.2 km (128.4-154.8 mi)


Axis Tilt 
 
Earth  23.5 degrees       Mars   25.2 degrees


Crust 

Earth  Silicates           Mars  Silicates


Core 

Earth Iron and Nickel Iron sulfides

Gravity

Earth 100% 38% of Earth’s Gravity


Soil 

Earth Silicon (Si) and Oxygen (O2) bound up with metallic elements such as iron and magnesium plus
organic particles.

Silicon (Si) and Oxygen
(O2) bound up with
metallic elements such as
iron and magnesium.
What difference do the
organic particles make?
ABC Fact Earth ABC’s Mars ABC’s ABC’s Learning Tips
Atmosphere

Earth 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen
1% Argon, 0.03% carbon
dioxide
95% carbon dioxide,
3% nitrogen, 1.5% Argon,
and trace amounts of water
vapor

Could you breathe on Mars? See long distances?

Moons
Earth Moons 1 Moon           Mars 2 Moons—Phobos and Deimos

 
Surface Pressure
Earth 1,013 millibars         Mars  6 millibars

Where would you have to go on Earth to find such a slight atmospheric pressure?


Water Ice Clouds
Earth 2 to 11 km high (1 to 7 miles)         Mars 10 to 25 km high (6 to 15 miles)

Would you expect them to produce rain?

Southern Polar Cap
Earth Frozen water       Mars Frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice)over a significant water ice cap

What would you do with dry ice on Mars?


Northern Polar Cap 
Earth Frozen water       Mars Frozen water

What would you do with the frozen water on Mars?


Temperature Range 
Earth  -127 degrees F (winter, polar) to 136 degrees F (summer, tropical or desert) (-88 to 58 C)

Mars   -194 degrees F to 72 degrees F (-125 to 25 C) average -81 degrees F

What protection would you need from the extreme temperature?

1. At 50 mph, how long would it take to drive around the equator?
2. When would you celebrate your birthday on Mars?
3. Would you mark the months by Earth time? The seasons?
4. How big would the Sun look in the sky? The Earth?
5. Would there be shadows at noon?
6. What are silicates?
7. How much would you weigh on Mars?