Temperature conditions on Mars. The temperature on Mars is a cold mystery Air temperature on Mars

The climate on Mars, although unfavorable for life, is still closest to the earth. Presumably in the past Mars climate could have been warmer and wetter, and liquid water was present on the surface and it even rained.

Mars is the most likely target for the first manned expedition to another planet.

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atmospheric composition

The atmosphere of Mars is more rarefied than the air shell of the Earth, and 95.9% consists of carbon dioxide, about 1.9% is nitrogen and 2% argon. The oxygen content is 0.14%. The average atmospheric pressure at the surface is 160 times less than at the Earth's surface.

The mass of the atmosphere varies 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 at low pressure and temperature, it is in a state close to saturation, and often collects in clouds. Martian clouds are rather inexpressive compared to those on Earth.

Research conducted by the Mariner 4 spacecraft in 1965 showed that liquid water not currently on Mars, but data from NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers indicate the presence of water in the past. On July 31, 2008, water in the state of ice was discovered on Mars at the landing site of NASA's Phoenix spacecraft. The device found ice deposits directly in the ground.

There are several facts in support of the claim of the presence of water on the surface of the planet in the past. First, minerals have been found that could only form as a result of prolonged exposure to water. Secondly, very old craters are practically wiped off the face of Mars. The modern atmosphere could not cause such destruction. The study of the rate of formation and erosion of craters made it possible to establish that wind and water destroyed them most of all about 3.5 billion years ago. Many gullies have approximately the same age.

NASA announced on September 28, 2015 that Mars currently has seasonal liquid salt water flows. These formations manifest themselves in the warm season and disappear - in the cold. 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) Martian orbiter.

Temperature

The average temperature on Mars is much lower than on Earth - about -40°C. Under the most favorable conditions in the summer in the daytime half of the planet, the atmosphere warms up to 20 ° C - quite an acceptable temperature for the inhabitants of the Earth. But winter night frost can reach −125°С. At winter temperature even carbon dioxide freezes, turning into dry ice. Such sharp temperature drops are caused by the fact that the rarefied atmosphere of Mars is not able to retain heat for a long time. As a result of numerous measurements of temperatures at various points on the surface of Mars, it turns out that during the day at the equator the temperature can reach up to + 27 ° C, but by morning it drops to -50 ° C.

There are temperature oases on Mars, in the areas of the "lake" Phoenix (Sun Plateau) and the land of Noah, the temperature difference is from -53 ° C to + 22 ° C in summer and from -103 ° C to -43 ° C in winter. Thus, Mars is very cold world However, the climate there is not much harsher than in Antarctica.

Climate of Mars, 4.5ºS, 137.4ºE (from 2012 to today)
Index Jan. Feb. March Apr. May June July Aug. Sen. 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

If you are going to spend a vacation on another planet, then it is important to find out about possible climate changes :) But seriously, many people know that most planets in our solar system extreme temperatures unsuitable for peaceful living. But what exactly are the temperatures on the surface of these planets? Below I offer a small overview of the temperatures of the planets in the solar system.

Mercury

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, so one might assume that it is constantly burning like a furnace. However, while the temperature on Mercury can reach 427°C, it can also drop as low as -173°C. Mercury has such a large temperature difference because it has no atmosphere.

Venus

Venus, the second closest planet to the Sun, has the highest average temperatures of any planet in our solar system, regularly reaching 460°C. Venus is so hot because of its proximity to the Sun and its dense atmosphere. The atmosphere of Venus is composed of dense clouds containing carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. This creates a strong greenhouse effect that traps the sun's heat in the atmosphere and turns the planet into a furnace.

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and so far the only planet known for its ability to support life. The average temperature on Earth is 7.2°C, but it varies by large deviations from this indicator. The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 70.7°C in Iran. The most low temperature was , and it reaches -91.2°C.

Mars

Mars is cold because, firstly, it does not have an atmosphere to maintain high temperature, and secondly, it is relatively far from the Sun. Since Mars has an elliptical orbit (it gets much closer to the Sun at some points in its orbit), during the summer its temperature can deviate up to 30°C from the norm in the northern and southern hemispheres. The minimum temperature on Mars is approximately -140°C and the highest is 20°C.

Jupiter

Jupiter doesn't have any solid surface, since it's a gas giant, so it doesn't have any surface temperature either. At the top of Jupiter's clouds, temperatures are around -145°C. As you descend closer to the center of the planet, the temperature increases. At the point where Atmosphere pressure ten times that of Earth, a temperature of 21°C, which some scientists jokingly refer to as "room temperature." In the core of the planet, the temperature is much higher and reaches approximately 24,000°C. For comparison, it is worth noting that the core of Jupiter is hotter than the surface of the Sun.

Saturn

As with Jupiter, the temperature in Saturn's upper atmosphere remains very low - down to about -175°C - and increases as you get closer to the center of the planet (up to 11,700°C at the core). Saturn, in fact, generates heat itself. It generates 2.5 times more energy than it receives from the Sun.

Uranus

Uranus is the most cold planet with the lowest recorded temperature -224°C. Although Uranus is far from the Sun, this is not the only reason for its low temperature. All other gas giants in our solar system emit more heat from their cores than they receive from the sun. Uranus has a core with a temperature of approximately 4737°C, which is only one-fifth the temperature of Jupiter's core.

Neptune

With temperatures reaching down to -218°C in upper atmosphere Neptune, this planet is one of the coldest in our solar system. Like the gas giants, Neptune has a much hotter core that is around 7000°C.

Below is a graph showing planetary temperatures in both Fahrenheit (°F) and Celsius (°C). Please note that Pluto has not been classified as a planet since 2006 (see below).


The planet Mars has an equatorial diameter of 6787 km, i.e. 0.53 of the Earth's. The polar diameter is somewhat less than the equatorial one (6753 km) due to the polar compression equal to 1/191 (against 1/298 near the Earth). Mars rotates on its axis in much the same way as the Earth: its period of rotation is 24 hours. 37 min. 23 seconds, which is only 41 minutes. 19 sec. more period rotation of the earth. The axis of rotation is inclined to the plane of the orbit 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 in almost the same way as on Earth. There is also climatic zones terrestrial: tropical (tropical latitude ± 25 °), two temperate and two polar (polar circle latitude ± 65 °).

However, due to the remoteness of Mars from the Sun and the rarefaction of the atmosphere, the climate of the planet is much more severe than that of the earth. Year of Mars (687 Earth or 668 martian days) is almost twice as long as Earth's, which means that the seasons also 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 severe. On the disk of Mars in the middle of the XVII century. dark and light areas were seen. In 1784

V. Herschel drew attention to seasonal changes sizes of 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 "seas" (in Latin mare), "lakes" (lacus), "bays" (sinus), "swamps" (palus), "straits" (freturn), "sources" (fens), " capes" (promontorium) and "regions" (regio). All these terms were, of course, purely conventional.

The temperature regime on Mars looks like this. In the daytime around 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 rarefied dry atmosphere of the planet cannot retain the heat received from the Sun during the day.

The average temperature on Mars is much lower than on Earth - about -40 ° C. Under the most favorable conditions in the summer in the daytime half of the planet, the air warms up to 20 ° C - quite an acceptable temperature for the inhabitants of the Earth. But on a winter night, frost can reach up to -125 ° C. At winter temperatures, even carbon dioxide freezes, turning into dry ice. Such sharp temperature drops are caused by the fact that the rarefied 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 as early as the early 1920s. W. Lampland's measurements in 1922 gave average temperature surface of Mars -28°C, E. Pettit and S. Nicholson received in 1924 -13°C. 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 summarized at various points on the surface of Mars, in different seasons and times of the day. From these measurements, it followed that during the day at the equator the temperature can reach up to +27°C, but by morning it can 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 rose to -30°C. The pressure of the atmosphere at the surface of the planet is 6 millibars (i.e. 0.006 atmospheres). Above the continents (deserts) of Mars, clouds of fine dust constantly rush, which is always lighter than the rocks from which it is formed. Dust also increases the brightness of the continents in the red rays.

Under the influence of winds and tornadoes, dust on Mars can rise into the atmosphere and stay in it for quite some time. Strong dust storms were observed in the southern hemisphere of Mars in 1956, 1971 and 1973. As shown by spectral observations in infrared rays, in the atmosphere of Mars (as in the atmosphere of Venus) the main component is carbon dioxide (CO3). Long-term searches for oxygen and water vapor at first did not give reliable results at all, and then it was found that oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars is no more than 0.3%.


> > > Temperature on Mars

What is the temperature on Mars: meaning day and night, summer and winter. Find out the average temperature of the atmosphere and surface of Mars, a description of the climate and research.

The red planet is located farther from the Sun than the Earth, so the planet gets less heat. To be more precise, this is an extremely cool place. The only exception is in summer period. But even at this time temperature on mars drops below 0°C. In summer, the Red Planet can warm up to 20°C, and at night the temperature drops to -90°C.

Mars moves in an elliptical path, so the surface temperature is constantly changing, but not by much. According to the axial tilt of 25.19 degrees, it resembles the earth (26.27), which means it has seasons. Let's add here a thin atmospheric layer and understand why the planet fails to save at least minimal heating. The atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide. If it were denser, then a greenhouse effect would form and we got a second Venus.

How has the temperature changed on Mars?

What about the past? Mars rovers and probes show areas of erosion that could be caused by liquid water. This hints that earlier Mars was not only warm, but also humid. However, the Red Planet has been dry and frosty for 3 billion years. Some believe that the cooling process started 4 billion years ago. However, the traces of erosion have not disappeared because there is no liquid water or plate tectonics. The wind is present, but not strong enough to transform the surface.

It is important for researchers to track warm weather and liquid water, because they are necessary for the origin and evolution of life. In addition, if we plan further exploration and colonization, then we cannot do without water sources. The mission will take at least a few years. Before the crew arrives, the water ice can be melted and cleaned.

If the temperature of Mars can still be fought, then water is the main obstacle to colonization. It remains only to develop the technology that will safely take us there and back. Now you know how the temperature on Mars is day and night.

The planet Mars, like another close neighbor of the Earth, Venus, has been subjected to the closest study of astronomers since antiquity. Visible to the naked eye, since ancient times it has been shrouded in mystery, legends and conjectures. And today we know far from everything about the Red Planet, however, many of the information obtained over centuries of observation and study dispelled some myths and helped a person understand many of the processes taking place on this cosmic object. The temperature on Mars, the composition of its atmosphere, the features of orbital movement after the improvement of technical methods of research and the beginning space age managed to move from the category of assumptions to the rank of indisputable facts. Nevertheless, much of the data about both such a close and such a distant neighbor has yet to be explained.

Fourth

Mars is located one and a half times farther from the Sun than our planet (the distance is estimated at 228 million km). According to this parameter, he takes the fourth place. Beyond the orbit of the Red Planet lies the main asteroid belt and the "possession" of Jupiter. It flies around our star in about 687 days. At the same time, the orbit of Mars is strongly elongated: its perihelion is located at a distance of 206.7, and aphelion - 249.2 million km. A day lasts here only almost 40 minutes longer than on Earth: 24 hours and 37 minutes.

little brother

Mars belongs to the terrestrial planets. The main substances that make up its structure are metals and silicon. Among similar objects in its dimensions, it is only ahead of Mercury. The diameter of the Red Planet is 6786 kilometers, which is about half that of the Earth. However, in terms of mass, Mars is 10 times inferior to our space home. The area of ​​the entire surface of the planet slightly exceeds the area of ​​the earth's continents combined, without taking into account the expanses of the oceans. The density here is also lower - it is only 3.93 kg / m 3.

The search for life

Despite the obvious difference between Mars and Earth, for a long time it was considered a real candidate for the title of a habitable planet. Before the beginning of the space age, scientists who observed the reddish surface of this cosmic body through a telescope periodically found signs of life, which soon, however, found a more prosaic explanation.

Over time, the conditions under which even the simplest organisms could appear outside the Earth were clearly defined. These include certain temperature parameters and the presence of water. Many explorations of the Red Planet have been aimed at discovering whether a suitable climate has developed there, and, if possible, to find traces of life.

Temperature on Mars

The Red Planet is an inhospitable world. Considerable distance from the Sun significantly affects climatic conditions this cosmic body. The temperature on Mars in Celsius varies on average from -155º to +20º. It is much colder here than on Earth, since the Sun, located one and a half times further away, warms the surface half as weakly. These not the most favorable conditions are exacerbated by a rarefied atmosphere, which transmits radiation well, which is known to be detrimental to all living things.

Such facts reduce to a minimum the chances of finding traces of existing or once extinct organisms on Mars. However, the point in this issue has not yet been set.

Determining Factors

The temperature on Mars, like on Earth, depends on the position of the planet relative to the star. Its maximum indicator (20-33º) is observed during the day near the equator. Minimum values ​​(up to -155º) are reached in the vicinity of South Pole. Significant temperature fluctuations are characteristic of the entire territory of the planet.

These fluctuations affect both climatic features Mars, and on his appearance. The main detail of its surface, noticeable even from the Earth, is the polar caps. As a result of significant heating in summer and cooling in winter, they undergo tangible changes: either they decrease until they almost completely disappear, then they increase again.

Is there water on Mars?

When summer comes in one of the hemispheres, the corresponding polar cap begins to decrease in size. Due to the orientation of the planet's axis, as it approaches the perihelion point, the southern half turns towards the Sun. As a result, the summer here is somewhat hotter, and the polar cap disappears almost completely. In the north, this effect is not observed.

Changes in the size of the polar caps led scientists to the idea that they are composed of not quite ordinary ice. The data collected to date allow us to assume that carbon dioxide plays a significant role in their formation, which in in large numbers contains the atmosphere of Mars. In the cold season, the temperature here reaches a point at which it usually turns into the so-called dry ice. It is he who begins to melt with the advent of summer. Water, according to scientists, is also present on the planet and makes up that part of the polar caps that remains unchanged even with an increase in temperature (heating is insufficient for its disappearance).

At the same time, the planet Mars cannot boast of having the main source of life in a liquid state. Hope for its discovery for a long time instilled areas of relief, very reminiscent of riverbeds. It is still not completely clear what could have led to their formation if there was never liquid water on the Red Planet. The atmosphere of Mars testifies in favor of the "dry" past. Its pressure is so insignificant that the boiling point of water falls at temperatures unusually low for the Earth, that is, it can exist here only in a gaseous state. Theoretically, Mars could have had more dense atmosphere, but then it would leave traces in the form of heavy inert gases. However, they have not been found so far.

Winds and storms

The temperature on Mars, more precisely, its differences, leads to rapid movement air masses in the hemisphere where winter has come. The resulting winds reach 170 m/s. On Earth, such phenomena would be accompanied by showers, but the Red Planet does not have sufficient water reserves for this. Dust storms arise here, so massive that sometimes they cover the entire planet. The rest of the time there is almost always clear weather (water is also needed to form a significant amount of clouds) and very clear air.

Despite relatively small size Mars and its unsuitability for life, scientists have high hopes for it. Here in the future it is planned to place bases for the extraction of minerals and the implementation of various scientific activity. It is still difficult to say how real such projects are, but the continuous development of technology testifies in favor of the fact that soon humanity will be able to embody the most daring ideas.

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