How old is mars compared to earth

Earth and Mars are also similar in that both have satellites that orbit them. In Earth's case, this is none other than The Moon, our only natural satellite and the source of the Earth's tides. It's existence has been known of since prehistoric times, and it has played a major role in the mythological and astronomical traditions of all human cultures. In addition, its size, mass and other characteristics are used as a reference point when assessing other satellites.

The Moon is one of the largest natural satellites in the Solar System and is the second-densest satellite of those whose moons who's densities are known after Jupiter's satellite Io. Its diameter, at 3, It's mean density is 3. All of this results in our Moon possessing gravity that is about The Moon varies in orbit around Earth, going from , km at perigee to , km at apogee.

And like most known satellites within our Solar System, the Moon's sidereal rotation period This means that the Moon is tidally locked with Earth, with one side is constantly facing towards us while the other is facing away. Thanks to examinations of Moon rocks that were brought back to Earth, the predominant theory states that the Moon was created roughly 4.

This collision created a massive cloud of debris that began circling our planet, which eventually coalesced to form the Moon we see today. Mars has two small satellites, Phobos and Deimos.

These moons were discovered in by the astronomer Asaph Hall and were named after mythological characters. In keeping with the tradition of deriving names from classical mythology, Phobos and Deimos are the sons of Ares — the Greek god of war that inspired the Roman god Mars. Phobos represents fear while Deimos stands for terror or dread.

Phobos measures about 22 km 14 mi in diameter, and orbits Mars at a distance of 9, At this distance, Phobos is below synchronous altitude, which means that it takes only 7 hours to orbit Mars and is gradually getting closer to the planet. Scientists estimate that in 10 to 50 million years, Phobos could crash into Mars' surface or break up into a ring structure around the planet. Meanwhile, Deimos measures about 12 km 7. It has a longer orbital period, taking 1.

Mars may have additional moons that are smaller than meters to ft in diameter, and a dust ring is predicted between Phobos and Deimos. Scientists believe that these two satellites were once asteroids that were captured by the planet's gravity. The low albedo and the carboncaceous chondrite composition of both moons — which is similar to asteroids — supports this theory, and Phobos' unstable orbit would seem to suggest a recent capture.

However, both moons have circular orbits near the equator, which is unusual for captured bodies. So while Earth has a single satellite that is quite large and dense, Mars has two satellites that are small and orbit it at a comparatively close distance.

And whereas the Moon was formed from Earth's own debris after a rather severe collision, Mars' satellites were likely captured asteroids. In short, compared to Earth, Mars is a pretty small, dry, cold, and dusty planet.

It has comparatively low gravity, very little atmosphere and no breathable air. And the years are also mighty long, almost twice that of Earth, in fact. However, the planet does have its fair share of water albeit mostly in ice form , has seasonal cycles similar to Earth, temperature variations that are similar, and a day that is almost as long.

All of these factors will have to be addressed if ever human beings want to live there. And whereas some can be worked with, others will have to be overcome or adapted to.

And for that, we will have to lean pretty heavily on our technology i. Best of luck to those who would like to venture there someday, and who do not plan on coming home!

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Maximum mass of a neutron star Nov 09, Oddly-shaped Deimos is covered in loose dirt that often fills the craters on its surface, making it appear smoother than pockmarked Phobos. Mars has no rings. However, in 50 million years when Phobos crashes into Mars or breaks apart, it could create a dusty ring around the Red Planet.

When the solar system settled into its current layout about 4. Mars is about half the size of Earth, and like its fellow terrestrial planets, it has a central core, a rocky mantle, and a solid crust. Mars has a dense core at its center between and 1, miles 1, to 2, kilometers in radius. It's made of iron, nickel, and sulfur.

Surrounding the core is a rocky mantle between and 1, miles 1, to 1, kilometers thick, and above that, a crust made of iron, magnesium, aluminum, calcium, and potassium.

This crust is between 6 and 30 miles 10 to 50 kilometers deep. The Red Planet is actually many colors. At the surface, we see colors such as brown, gold, and tan. This dust gets kicked up into the atmosphere and from a distance makes the planet appear mostly red. Its volcanoes, impact craters, crustal movement, and atmospheric conditions such as dust storms have altered the landscape of Mars over many years, creating some of the solar system's most interesting topographical features.

A large canyon system called Valles Marineris is long enough to stretch from California to New York — more than 3, miles 4, kilometers. This Martian canyon is miles kilometers at its widest and 4. That's about 10 times the size of Earth's Grand Canyon. Mars is home to the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons. It's three times taller than Earth's Mt. Everest with a base the size of the state of New Mexico. Mars appears to have had a watery past, with ancient river valley networks, deltas, and lakebeds, as well as rocks and minerals on the surface that could only have formed in liquid water.

Some features suggest that Mars experienced huge floods about 3. There is water on Mars today, but the Martian atmosphere is too thin for liquid water to exist for long on the surface. Today, water on Mars is found in the form of water-ice just under the surface in the polar regions as well as in briny salty water, which seasonally flows down some hillsides and crater walls.

Mars has a thin atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon gases. To our eyes, the sky would be hazy and red because of suspended dust instead of the familiar blue tint we see on Earth. Mars' sparse atmosphere doesn't offer much protection from impacts by such objects as meteorites, asteroids, and comets. The temperature on Mars can be as high as 70 degrees Fahrenheit 20 degrees Celsius or as low as about degrees Fahrenheit degrees Celsius.

And because the atmosphere is so thin, heat from the Sun easily escapes this planet. In fact, he says most such objects are ejected out of the solar system or displaced inward towards Earth and Venus. Mars is left without material to accrete. And because Earth and Venus were less perturbed by the giant planets, they continue to accrete material and grow. But if the opposite had been true, Clement says Mars would have grown much larger.

The implication is that Mars might have had enough gravity to retain its atmosphere and thus approach habitability. This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here. More From Forbes. Jul 23, , am EDT. Jul 15, , am EDT. Jul 8, , am EDT.