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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.
Successful Mars Missions |
Nation/ Agency |
|
USSR |
|
NASA (USA) |
|
European Space Agency (EU) |
|
ISRO (India) |
|
UAE |
|
China |
Source:DTE
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