Red Planet

In Context 

Recent study suggested that Mars’ dramatic shift from a warm and wet planet to a cold and dry one may have been chiefly driven by greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide (CO2).

Major Highlights of the Study 

• Missions to the Red Planet have revealed the presence of riverbanks and deltas, evidence that it was once home to rivers and lakes. 
• Mars’ climate was warm enough for lakes and rivers to develop 3-3.6 billion years ago. 
• Presently, the atmosphere is too cold and thin to support the existence of liquid water on the surface.

About Mars 

• It is the fourth planet from the Sun  and  is a cold desert world. It is half the size of Earth. 
• It is sometimes called the Red Planet. It’s red because of rusty iron in the ground. 
• It is also a dynamic planet with seasons, polar ice caps, canyons, extinct volcanoes, and evidence that it was even more active in the past.
• It has a very thin atmosphere made of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon.
• There are signs of ancient floods on Mars, but now water mostly exists in icy dirt and thin clouds. 
• Perseverance rover 
  • It is  the largest, most advanced rover NASA has sent to another world – touched down on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021, after a 203-day journey traversing 293 million miles (472 million kilometres). 
  • The Ingenuity helicopter rode to Mars attached to the belly of Perseverance
  • Data from Perseverance Rover  could help scientists learn more about Mars’ mysterious past.

Source:DTE