Temperature on Mars. Temperature on the planets of the solar system Daytime temperature on Mars
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The planet Mars has an equatorial diameter of 6787 km, i.e. 0.53 of Earth's. The polar diameter is slightly smaller than the equatorial diameter (6753 km) due to polar compression equal to 1/191 (versus 1/298 for the Earth). Mars rotates around its axis in almost the same way as the Earth: its rotation period is 24 hours. 37 min. 23 seconds, which is only 41 minutes. 19 sec. more period rotation of the Earth. The rotation axis is inclined to the orbital plane at an angle of 65°, almost equal to the angle of inclination of the earth's axis (66°.5). This means that the change of day and night, as well as the change of seasons on Mars proceed almost the same as on Earth. There is also climatic zones, similar to those on Earth: tropical (latitude of the tropics ±25°), two temperate and two polar (latitude of the polar circles ±65°).
However, due to the distance of Mars from the Sun and the rarefied atmosphere of the planet, the climate of the planet is much harsher than that of Earth. The year of Mars (687 Earth or 668 Martian days) is almost twice as long as the Earth’s, which means the seasons last longer. Due to the large eccentricity of the orbit (0.09), the duration and nature of the seasons of Mars are different in the northern and southern hemispheres of the planet.
Thus, in the northern hemisphere of Mars, summers are long but cool, and winters are short and mild (Mars is close to perihelion at this time), while in the southern hemisphere, summers are short but warm, and winters are long and harsh. On the disk of Mars back in the middle of the 17th century. dark and light areas were observed. In 1784
V. Herschel drew attention to seasonal changes the size of the white spots at the poles (polar caps). In 1882, the Italian astronomer G. Schiaparelli compiled detailed map Mars and gave a system of names for the details of its surface; highlighting among the dark spots “sea” (in Latin mare), “lakes” (lacus), “bays” (sinus), “swamps” (palus), “straits” (freturn), “springs” (fens), “ capes" (promontorium) and "regions" (regio). All these terms were, of course, purely conditional.
The temperature regime on Mars looks like this. During the daytime near the equator, if Mars is near perihelion, the temperature can rise to +25°C (about 300°K). But by evening it drops to zero and below, and during the night the planet cools even more, since the thin, dry atmosphere of the planet cannot retain the heat received from the Sun during the day.
The average temperature on Mars is significantly lower than on Earth - about -40° C. Under the most favorable conditions in summer, on the daytime half of the planet the air warms up to 20° C - a completely acceptable temperature for the inhabitants of the Earth. But winter night frost can reach up to -125° C. When winter temperature even carbon dioxide freezes into dry ice. Such sudden temperature changes are caused by the fact that the thin atmosphere of Mars is not able to retain heat for a long time. The first measurements of the temperature of Mars using a thermometer placed at the focus of a reflecting telescope were carried out back in the early 20s. Measurements by V. Lampland in 1922 gave average temperature surface of Mars -28°C, E. Pettit and S. Nicholson obtained -13°C in 1924. A lower value was obtained in 1960. W. Sinton and J. Strong: -43°C. Later, in the 50s and 60s. Numerous temperature measurements were accumulated and generalized at various points on the surface of Mars, in different seasons and times of day. From these measurements it followed that during the day at the equator the temperature could reach +27°C, but by the morning it could reach -50°C.
The Viking spacecraft measured the temperature near the surface after landing on Mars. Despite the fact that at that time it was summer in the southern hemisphere, the temperature of the atmosphere near the surface in the morning was -160°C, but by the middle of the day it had risen to -30°C. The atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is 6 millibars (i.e. 0.006 atmospheres). Clouds of fine dust constantly float over the continents (deserts) of Mars, which is always lighter than the rocks from which it is formed. Dust also increases the brightness of continents in red rays.
Under the influence of winds and tornadoes, dust on Mars can rise into the atmosphere and remain in it for quite a long time. Severe dust storms were observed in the southern hemisphere of Mars in 1956, 1971 and 1973. As shown by spectral observations in infrared rays, the main component in the atmosphere of Mars (as in the atmosphere of Venus) is carbon dioxide (CO3). Long-term searches for oxygen and water vapor at first did not give any reliable results, and then it was found that there is no more than 0.3% oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars.
“We have rubbish weather on Mars!” - this is what was said in one poem about astronauts, composed at a time when there was still an aura of romance... But really, what kind of weather does it have on the “red planet”?
When we talk about weather on Earth, we primarily mean the state of the atmosphere. On Mars it is also there - but not like ours. The fact is that Mars, unlike Earth, does not have magnetic field, which would hold the atmosphere - and the solar wind (a stream of ionized particles from the solar corona) destroys it. Therefore, the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is 160 times lower than on Earth. This cannot protect the planet from daily temperature fluctuations (since it does not prevent the radiation of thermal energy into space), therefore at the equator the air temperature, rising to +30 °C during the day, drops to -80 °C at night, and at the poles it is even lower - to -143 °C.
But what is very similar for our planets is the angle of inclination of the rotation axis, “responsible” for the change of seasons on the planet (for Earth it is 23.439281, and for Mars it is 25.19, as you can see - not such a big difference ), therefore there is also a change of seasons on Mars - only they last twice as long (after all, the Martian year is almost 2 times longer than the Earth's - 687 earthly days). There are also climatic zones; seasons vary from hemisphere to hemisphere.
So, in the northern hemisphere, winter comes when Mars is closest to the Sun, and in the southern hemisphere, when it moves away, in the summer everything happens the other way around. Therefore, winter in the northern hemisphere is shorter and warmer than in the southern hemisphere, and summer is longer but colder.
But most noticeable (at least to an observer from the ground) is the change of seasons in the polar regions covered with ice caps. They never completely disappear, but their size changes. In winter the distance from south pole to the border of the southern polar cap is equal to half the distance to the equator, and at the north pole - a third of this distance. With the arrival of spring, the polar caps become smaller, “retreating” towards the poles. At the same time, “dry ice” (frozen carbon dioxide), which makes up the upper layer of the ice caps, evaporates, and in a gaseous state is carried by the wind to the opposite pole, where at this time winter sets in - and (therefore, the cap grows at the opposite pole).
On Earth, when interested in the weather forecast, we first of all ask the question: will it rain? So, on Mars there is no need to be afraid of rain - at such low atmospheric pressure, liquid water cannot exist. But snow does happen. Thus, snow fell on Mars in 1979 in the landing area of the Viking 2 spacecraft, and did not melt for quite a long time - several months.
In lowlands, crater floors and canyons there is often fog during the cold season, and water vapor present in the atmosphere forms clouds.
But what we should be wary of on Mars (if we ever go there) are hurricane-force winds, tornadoes and dust storms. Wind speeds of up to 100 m/s are common on Mars, and due to the low gravity, the winds kick up huge amounts of dust into the air.
The largest dust storms originate in the southern hemisphere of Mars in the spring (when the planet warms up quickly) - and can drag on for a long time and cover vast areas. So, from September 1971 to January 1972, a dust storm raged on Mars, engulfing the entire planet - about a billion tons of dust was raised to a 10-kilometer height. This storm almost disrupted the mission of the Mariner 9 spacecraft - due to the dense dust veil, the surface of the planet was impossible to observe. The Mariner computer had to delay the photography (and still no one could vouch for its success - after all, it was impossible to predict when the storm would stop).
There are also “dust devils” on Mars - vortices that lift dust and sand into the air. On Earth, such a phenomenon occurs in deserts, but Mars is all desert, and such a dust devil can occur anywhere.
As you can see, the climate of Mars is really not very favorable. And in order for “apple trees to bloom” there, you will have to either change the planet very much, or wait for nature to do it... In any case, mass settlement of Mars is unlikely to take place in the foreseeable future.
Mars is now dry and cold climate(left), but in the early stages of the planet's evolution there most likely was liquid water and dense atmosphere(on right).
Studying
Observation history
Current observations
Weather
Temperature
The average temperature on Mars is significantly lower than on Earth: −63°C. Since the atmosphere of Mars is very rarefied, it does not smooth out daily fluctuations in surface temperature. Under the most favorable conditions in summer, on the daytime half of the planet the air warms up to 20 ° C (and at the equator - up to +27 ° C) - a completely acceptable temperature for the inhabitants of the Earth. The maximum air temperature recorded by the Spirit rover was +35 °C. But winter at night, frost can reach even at the equator from −80 °C to −125 °C, and at the poles the night temperature can drop to −143 °C. However, daily temperature fluctuations are not as significant as on the atmosphereless Moon and Mercury. There are temperature oases on Mars, in the areas of the Phoenix Lake (solar plateau) and land of Noah The temperature difference ranges from −53°С to +22°С in summer and from −103°С to −43°С in winter. Thus, Mars is very cold world, the climate there is much harsher than in Antarctica.
| Climate of Mars, 4.5ºS, 137.4ºE (from 2012 to today [ When?]) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index | Jan. | Feb. | March | Apr. | May | June | July | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Year |
| Absolute maximum, °C | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 30 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 |
| Average maximum, °C | −7 | −18 | −23 | −20 | −4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −1 | −3 | −5,7 |
| Average minimum, °C | −82 | −86 | −88 | −87 | −85 | −78 | −76 | −69 | −68 | −73 | −73 | −77 | −78,5 |
| Absolute minimum, °C | −95 | −127 | −114 | −97 | −98 | −125 | −84 | −80 | −78 | −79 | −83 | −110 | −127 |
| Source: Centro de Astrobiología, Mars Science Laboratory Weather Twitter | |||||||||||||
Atmosphere pressure
The atmosphere of Mars is more rarefied than the air shell of the Earth, and consists of more than 95% carbon dioxide, and the oxygen and water content is a fraction of a percent. The average atmospheric pressure at the surface is on average 0.6 kPa or 6 mbar, which is 160 less than the Earth's or equal to the Earth's at an altitude of almost 35 km from the Earth's surface). Atmosphere pressure undergoes strong daily and seasonal changes.
Cloud cover and precipitation
There is no more than a thousandth of a percent of water vapor in the Martian atmosphere, but according to the results of recent (2013) studies, this is still more than previously thought, and more than in the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere, and at low pressure and temperature it is in in a state close to saturation, so it often gathers in clouds. As a rule, water clouds form at altitudes of 10-30 km above the surface. They are concentrated mainly at the equator and are observed almost throughout the year. Clouds observed on high levels atmosphere (more than 20 km), are formed as a result of CO 2 condensation. The same process is responsible for the formation of low (at an altitude of less than 10 km) clouds in the polar regions in winter, when the atmospheric temperature drops below the freezing point of CO 2 (-126 °C); in summer, similar thin formations of ice H 2 O are formed
Formations of a condensation nature are also represented by fogs (or haze). They often stand above lowlands - canyons, valleys - and at the bottom of craters during the cold season.
Snowstorms can occur in the atmosphere of Mars. In 2008, the Phoenix rover observed virgu in the polar regions - precipitation under clouds that evaporates before reaching the surface of the planet. According to initial estimates, the rate of precipitation in Virga was very low. However, recent (2017) modeling of Martian atmospheric phenomena showed that at mid-latitudes, where there is a regular cycle of day and night, clouds cool sharply after sunset, and this can lead to snowstorms, during which particle speeds can actually reach 10 m/s. Scientists admit that strong winds combined with low clouds (usually Martian clouds form at an altitude of 10-20 km) can lead to snow falling on the surface of Mars. This phenomenon is similar to terrestrial microbursts - squalls of downward wind with a speed of up to 35 m/s, often associated with thunderstorms.
Snow has indeed been observed several times. So, in the winter of 1979, a thin layer of snow fell in the Viking-2 landing area, which remained for several months.
Dust storms and tornadoes
A characteristic feature of the atmosphere of Mars is the constant presence of dust, particles of which have a size of about 1.5 mm and consist mainly of iron oxide. Low gravity allows even thin air currents to raise huge clouds of dust to a height of up to 50 km. And winds, which are one of the manifestations of temperature differences, often blow over the surface of the planet (especially in late spring - early summer in the southern hemisphere, when the temperature difference between the hemispheres is especially sharp), and their speed reaches 100 m/s. In this way, extensive dust storms are formed, long observed in the form of individual yellow clouds, and sometimes in the form of a continuous yellow veil covering the entire planet. Most often, dust storms occur near the polar caps; their duration can reach 50-100 days. A faint yellow haze in the atmosphere is usually observed after large dust storms and is easily detected by photometric and polarimetric methods.
Dust storms, clearly visible in images taken from orbital vehicles, turned out to be barely noticeable when photographed from landers. The passage of dust storms in the landing sites of these space stations was recorded only by a sharp change in temperature, pressure and a very slight darkening of the general background of the sky. The layer of dust that settled after the storm in the vicinity of the Viking landing sites amounted to only a few micrometers. All this indicates a rather low bearing capacity of the Martian atmosphere.
From September 1971 to January 1972, a global dust storm occurred on Mars, which even prevented photography of the surface from the Mariner 9 probe. The mass of dust in the atmospheric column (with an optical depth of 0.1 to 10), estimated during this period, ranged from 7.8⋅10 -5 to 1.66⋅10 -3 g/cm 2 . Thus, total weight dust particles in the atmosphere of Mars during the period of global dust storms can reach up to 10 8 - 10 9 tons, which is comparable to the total amount of dust in earth's atmosphere.
Question about water availability
For a stable existence clean water in liquid state temperature And The partial pressure of water vapor in the atmosphere should be above the triple point on the phase diagram, whereas now they are far from the corresponding values. Indeed, studies carried out by the Mariner 4 spacecraft in 1965 showed that liquid water Mars does not currently exist, but data from NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers indicate the presence of water in the past. On July 31, 2008, ice water was discovered on Mars at the landing site of NASA's Phoenix spacecraft. The device discovered ice deposits directly in the ground. There are several facts to support the claim that water was present on the planet's surface in the past. Firstly, minerals were found that could only be formed as a result of prolonged exposure to water. Secondly, very old craters have been practically erased from the face of Mars. The modern atmosphere could not cause such destruction. A study of the rate of formation and erosion of craters made it possible to establish that wind and water destroyed them most strongly about 3.5 billion years ago. Many ravines are approximately the same age.
NASA announced on September 28, 2015 that seasonal flows of liquid salt water currently exist on Mars. These formations manifest themselves in the warm season and disappear in the cold season. Planetary scientists came to their conclusions by analyzing high-quality images obtained by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) scientific instrument of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
On July 25, 2018, a report was released about the discovery, based on research by the MARSIS radar. The work showed the presence of a subglacial lake on Mars, located at a depth of 1.5 km under the ice of the South Polar Cap (on Planum Australia), about 20 km wide. This became the first known permanent body of water on Mars.
Seasons
As on Earth, on Mars there is a change of seasons due to the inclination of the rotation axis to the orbital plane, so in winter the polar cap grows in the northern hemisphere, and almost disappears in the southern hemisphere, and after six months the hemispheres change places. Moreover, due to the rather large eccentricity of the planet’s orbit at perihelion ( winter solstice in the northern hemisphere) it receives up to 40% more solar radiation than in aphelion, and in the northern hemisphere the winters are short and relatively moderate, and the summers are long but cool, in the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the summers are short and relatively warm, and the winters are long and cold . In connection with this, the southern cap in winter expands to half the pole-equator distance, and the northern cap only to a third. When summer begins at one of the poles, carbon dioxide from the corresponding polar cap evaporates and enters the atmosphere; the winds carry it to the opposite cap, where it freezes again. This creates a cycle of carbon dioxide, which, along with the different sizes of the polar caps, causes the pressure of the atmosphere of Mars to change as it orbits the Sun. Due to the fact that in winter up to 20-30% of the entire atmosphere freezes in the polar cap, the pressure in the corresponding area drops accordingly.
Changes over time
As on Earth, the climate of Mars underwent long-term changes and in the early stages of the planet's evolution was very different from what it is today. The difference is that main role in the cyclic changes in the Earth's climate, changes in the eccentricity of the orbit and the precession of the rotation axis play a role, while the inclination of the rotation axis remains approximately constant due to the stabilizing effect of the Moon, while Mars, without such large satellite, can undergo significant changes in the inclination of its rotation axis. Calculations have shown that the inclination of Mars' rotation axis, which is now 25° - approximately the same value as that of the Earth - was 45° in the recent past, and on a scale of millions of years could fluctuate from 10° to 50°.
Atmospheric composition
The atmosphere of Mars is more rarefied than the air shell of the Earth, and consists of 95% carbon dioxide, about 4% nitrogen and argon. There is less than 1% oxygen and water vapor in the Martian atmosphere. The average atmospheric pressure at the surface is 160 times less than that of the Earth's surface.
The mass of the atmosphere changes greatly throughout the year due to condensation in winter time and evaporation in the summer, large volumes of carbon dioxide at the poles, in the polar caps.
Cloud cover and precipitation
There is very little water vapor in the Martian atmosphere, but low pressure and temperature it is in a state close to saturation and often gathers in clouds. Martian clouds are rather featureless compared to those on Earth.
Temperature
The average temperature on Mars is much lower than on Earth - about −40°C. Under the most favorable conditions in summer, on the daytime half of the planet, the air warms up to 20°C - a completely acceptable temperature for the inhabitants of the Earth. But on a winter night the frost can reach −125°C. At winter temperatures, even carbon dioxide freezes, turning into dry ice. Such sudden temperature changes are caused by the fact that the thin atmosphere of Mars is not able to retain heat for a long time. As a result of numerous temperature measurements at various points on the surface of Mars, it turns out that during the day at the equator the temperature can reach +27°C, but by the morning it drops to −50°C.
There are also temperature oases on Mars; in the areas of the Phoenix “lake” (solar plateau) and the land of Noah, the temperature difference ranges from −53°C to +22°C in summer and from −103°C to −43°C in winter. Thus, Mars is a very cold world, but the climate there is not much harsher than in Antarctica. When the first photographs from the surface of Mars, taken by Viking, were transmitted to Earth, scientists were very surprised to see that the Martian sky was not black, as expected, but pink. It turned out that dust hanging in the air absorbs 40% of the incoming sunlight, creating a color effect.
Dust storms and tornadoes
One of the manifestations of temperature differences is winds. They often blow over the surface of the planet strong winds, the speed of which reaches 100 m/s. Low gravity allows even thin air currents to raise huge clouds of dust. Sometimes quite large areas on Mars are covered in enormous dust storms. Most often they occur near the polar ice caps. A global dust storm on Mars prevented photography of the surface from the Mariner 9 probe. It raged from September to January 1972, raising about a billion tons of dust into the atmosphere at an altitude of more than 10 km. Dust storms most often occur during periods of great opposition, when summer in the southern hemisphere coincides with Mars' passage through perihelion.
Dust devils are another example of temperature-related processes on Mars. Such tornadoes are very common occurrences on Mars. They raise dust into the atmosphere and are caused by temperature differences. Reason: during the day, the surface of Mars heats up quite a bit (sometimes to positive temperatures), but at an altitude of up to 2 meters from the surface, the atmosphere remains just as cold. This difference causes instability, raising dust into the air - resulting in the formation of dust devils.
Seasons
Today it is known that of all the planets in the solar system, Mars is the most similar to Earth. The axis of rotation of Mars is inclined to its orbital plane by approximately 23.9°, which is comparable to the tilt of the Earth's axis, which is 23.4°, and the Martian days practically coincide with the Earth's - which is why, like on Earth, the seasons change. Seasonal changes are most pronounced in the polar regions. In winter, the polar caps occupy a significant area. The boundary of the northern polar cap can move away from the pole by a third of the distance to the equator, and the boundary of the southern cap covers half of this distance. This difference is caused by the fact that in the northern hemisphere, winter occurs when Mars passes through the perihelion of its orbit, and in the southern hemisphere, when it passes through aphelion. Because of this, winter in the southern hemisphere is colder than in the northern hemisphere. And the length of each of the four Martian seasons varies depending on its distance from the Sun. Therefore, in the Martian northern hemisphere, winter is short and relatively “moderate”, and summer is long but cool. In the south, on the contrary, summers are short and relatively warm, and winters are long and cold.
With the onset of spring, the polar cap begins to “shrink,” leaving behind gradually disappearing islands of ice. At the same time, a so-called darkening wave is spreading from the poles to the equator. Modern theories it is explained by the fact that spring winds transport large masses of soil with different reflective properties along the meridians.
Apparently none of the caps disappear completely. Before Mars was explored using interplanetary probes, it was assumed that its polar regions were covered with frozen water. More accurate modern ground-based and space measurements have discovered the composition Martian ice also frozen carbon dioxide. In summer it evaporates and enters the atmosphere. The winds carry it to the opposite polar cap, where it freezes again. This cycle of carbon dioxide and the different sizes of the polar caps explain the variability in the pressure of the Martian atmosphere.
The relief of the Martian surface is complex and has many details. Dry riverbeds and canyons on the surface of Mars have given rise to speculation about the existence of an advanced civilization on Mars - for more details, see the article Life on Mars.
The typical Martian landscape resembles an terrestrial desert, and the surface of Mars has a reddish tint due to the increased content of iron oxides in Martian sand.
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Foreign Mars researchers were surprised by the abnormally warm spring. Russian scientists have known about this since 2002
The Red Planet never ceases to amaze earthlings. Recently, the Curiosity rover found river gravel there, a pyramid-shaped stone, and sent back to Earth a photo of a beautiful solar eclipse... And also, according to Spanish researchers who installed their thermal sensors on the rover, it has become unusually warm on Mars - up to +6. For the Martian spring that is currently observed there, this is just a resort. Compatriots of Salvador Dali say that if the trend continues, then conversations about colonization will become more than real. But is Mars really warmer than before? What would earthlings see if they were on this planet now? MK found out this by talking with Russian scientists from the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Some of them recently returned from international conference in Madrid.
So, weather station REMS installed on board Curiosity rover, discovered that the spring that came to Mars was unexpectedly warm. At least that’s how the representatives of the scientific team managing the rover presented the news. According to scientists, in particular Felipe Gomez from the Spanish Center for Astrobiology, the warmth on Mars greatly surprised him and his colleagues...
Curiosity landed on August 6 at Bradbury Landing in the Red Planet's southern hemisphere. Since the Martian spring is now beginning there, scientists are closely monitoring its features. According to them, since landing, daytime temperatures measured by the REMS station have been above freezing in half the cases. Thus, the average daily temperature was +6 degrees during the day and −70 degrees at night. This surprised scientists, who, in their own words, expected colder Martian days. “The fact that Mars is so “warm” during daylight hours surprised and interested us in itself. If this warming continues into summer, we will see temperatures in the 20s or more, which is great from a colonization perspective. It is likely that daytime temperatures will be able to keep the water in a liquid state. But it is still difficult to say whether such temperatures are the norm or just an anomaly,” Gomez continued.
We asked the staff of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences to solve Gomez’s problem.
— The indicated temperatures are normal for the Martian spring. In general, the weather there is very stable, we can predict it much more accurately than on Earth. And all because there is no turbulence on Mars (irregular mutual movements in the atmosphere), explains Associate Professor at MIPT, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander RODIN.
- Why then did the spring warmth surprise the Spaniards?
“They are on the rise now, because their Center for Astrobiology has installed weather sensors on Curiosity, and at any opportunity they are looking for an excuse to talk about the weather.” What Felipe Gomez, who is more of a scientific official than a researcher, said is, of course, an exaggeration. Spanish sensors may have recorded some slight increase in temperature, but it does not indicate a serious trend.
According to Rodin, a global dust storm could lead to a slight warming (these happen on Mars 1-2 times a year just during the period when it is spring or summer in the southern hemisphere). However, these storms are so powerful that they cover the entire planet with their train for 100-150 days. And since dust absorbs Sun rays and converts their energy into heat, then on Mars during such storms the average daily temperature can rise. The origin of such storms is currently a mystery to meteorologists. Apart from storms, the weather on Mars is almost always stable and predictable. Due to the very thin atmosphere, daytime heat quickly evaporates - and at night the surface of the planet can immediately cool by 100 degrees. The average daily temperature on Mars is almost always −50 degrees. However, in the hottest points, daytime temperatures can reach +20...30 degrees in the summer.
By the way, Rodin’s words are confirmed by the head of the laboratory of cosmic gamma spectroscopy Igor MITROFANOV, he is also the developer of the Russian HEND device, which is now operating on board the American Martian satellite Mars Odyssey.
“HAND has been “observing” seasonal processes on the Red Planet for about 5 Martian years continuously since February 2002,” says Mitrofanov. — We record the thickness of the winter cover of “dry snow” from atmospheric carbon dioxide in the northern and southern hemispheres. So far, the seasonal profile of accumulation and evaporation of Martian “dry snow” that we have measured is surprisingly accurately repeated every Martian year. This year is no exception. In the southern hemisphere of Mars, the usual Martian spring begins. On a summer day on the equator of Mars, the surface temperature can reach +30 degrees Celsius (read like here in Moscow).
By the way, according to Mitrofanov, if people landed on Mars in spring time, an amazing sight would await them here - geysers of carbon dioxide.
Spring geysers on Mars.
“In the spring, on Earth, snow melts and turns into water,” says Igor Mitrofanov. “That’s why streams flow on Earth in spring.” And on Mars, snow consists of frozen carbon dioxide, and as the temperature rises, it turns into carbon dioxide. This happens as follows: spring sun rays penetrate the snow cover and warm the ground surface. As a result, carbon dioxide appears under a layer of dry snow, which gradually accumulates in the surface space. The gas pressure increases, and somewhere in top layer“dry snow” a crack forms, through which the accumulated gas suddenly bursts noisily to the surface. This is the nature of spring Martian geysers.
What else was discussed at the conference in Madrid
Polar vortexes very similar to Venus's have been discovered on Titan. Since the atmospheres on these planets move faster than the planets themselves, the vortices are very powerful formations that do not collapse for a long time. The discovery of vortices on Titan allows scientists to understand the commonality of the laws of nature operating on different planets.
Among the exoplanets (planets located outside the solar system) similar to Earth have not yet been found. But Super-Earths have been discovered, the mass of which is 10 times greater than the mass of our planet. True, they are more like Venus.
