Temperature of Mars. 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. longer than the Earth's rotation period. 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 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 noticed. In 1784

V. Herschel drew attention to seasonal changes in 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 dark spots“seas” (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. At 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 W. Lampland in 1922 gave an average surface temperature of Mars of -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, in the atmosphere of Mars (as in the atmosphere of Venus) the main component is carbon dioxide(C03). 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.

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 Institute space research RAS. Some of them recently returned from international conference in Madrid.

So, weather station REMS, installed on board the 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, average daily temperatures were +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 at 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. Because of the very subtle 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 the spring, 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 the upper layer of “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.

Mars now has a dry and cold climate (left), but in the early stages of the planet's evolution, it most likely had liquid water and a dense atmosphere (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. Maximum temperature 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 pressure of the atmosphere 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.

Clouds 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 upper layers Earth's atmosphere, and at low pressure and temperature it is in a state close to saturation, so it often collects 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 period when the atmospheric temperature drops below the freezing point of CO2 (-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 more than once. 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 photographs 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, the total weight of 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 total number dust in the 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, research conducted by the Mariner 4 spacecraft in 1965 showed that there is currently no liquid water on Mars, 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) she 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, while 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. Thus, the carbon dioxide cycle occurs, which, along with different sizes The polar ice caps cause the pressure of Mars's atmosphere 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 influence of the Moon, while Mars, not having such a 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°.

God of War Mars ancient Roman pantheon was considered the father of the Roman people, guardian of fields and domestic animals, then patron of equestrian competitions. The fourth planet from the Sun is named after him. Probably, the blood-red appearance of the planet evoked associations with war and death among the first observers. They even received corresponding names - Phobos (“fear”) and Deimos (“horror”).

Red riddle

Each planet has its mysteries, but none of them intrigued earthlings as much as Mars. Inexplicable for a long time The unusual red appearance of the planet remained; it was also interesting what the temperature was on Mars, and whether its color depended on this. Today, every schoolchild knows that the abundant content of iron minerals in the Martian soil gives it such a color. And in the past there were some questions to which the most inquisitive minds of earthlings sought answers.

Cold planet

In terms of age, this planet is the same as the Earth and its other neighbors. solar system. Scientists suggest that her birth occurred 4.6 billion years ago. And although not everything in the history of the planet’s development has yet been clarified, much has already been established, including what the temperature is on Mars.

Relatively recently, large thicknesses of ice deposits were discovered at the poles in both hemispheres. This is evidence that liquid water once existed on the planet. And the temperature of Mars may have been completely different. Many scientists assume that if there is ice on the surface, then water should remain in the rocks. And the presence of water is confirmation that there was once life here.

It has been established that the planet's atmosphere has a density 100 times less than that of Earth. But despite this, clouds and wind form in the layers of the Martian atmosphere. Huge dust storms sometimes rage above the surface.

What is the temperature on Mars is already known, and thanks to the data obtained, we can conclude that it is much colder on the red neighbor than on Earth. In the region of the poles, a temperature of -125 degrees Celsius was recorded in winter, and the highest in summer reaches +20 degrees in the equator region.

How is it different from Earth?

There are many differences between the planets, some of them quite significant. Mars is much smaller in size than Earth, twice as large. And the planet is located much further from the Sun: the distance to the star is almost 1.5 times further than that of our planet.

Since the mass of the planet is relatively small, it is almost three times less than on Earth. On Mars, as well as on our planet, there are different times years, but their duration is almost twice as long.

Unlike Earth, Mars, whose air temperature averages -30...-40°C, has a very rarefied atmosphere. Its composition is dominated by carbon dioxide, which suggests that the temperature on Mars near the surface does not change significantly throughout the day. For example, at noon it can be -18° C, and in the evening - already -63° C. At night, temperatures at the equator were recorded at 100 degrees below zero.

Mars is one of the representatives of the terrestrial group, average temperature whose surface is below zero. He is the closest of our neighbors, and therefore his research is of particular interest to humanity. In the future, this is a variant of the first interplanetary colonization. And knowledge of temperature regimes is an understanding of the initial conditions of colonization. Information about temperature conditions Mars will allow us to build theories about the temperatures of other planets.

What is the temperature on Mars

The first observations of the red planet began in the 18th century. Then these were just observations that could not say anything about the temperature of Mars. But already in the 20s of the last century, scientists placed a thermometer at the focus of a reflecting telescope, thereby determining the surface temperature. At that time, the indicators varied among different scientists: from -28 degrees to -60. Scientists had different equipment with different measurement errors, but such a large scatter only fueled scientific interest.

In the 50s, enough information accumulated, facts about positive temperatures at the equator became known. In 1956, a group of American scientists conducted research that confirmed low temperatures at the poles.

The minimum temperature recorded at the pole of Mars is -153 0 C.

The greatest value was observed during the Great Confrontation, that is, the moment of closest approach between Mars and Earth. Later, with the development of scientific progress after a few unsuccessful attempts The launch of Mars rovers managed to obtain the first images of the poles of the red planet. This made it possible to confirm the temperature at the poles at -125 degrees Celsius. Science does not stand still and new discoveries are made year after year.

The average temperature on the surface of the red planet is -63 0 C.

At the same time, at the equator the thermometer shows the usual 18 0 C. It is quite enough for growing plants and founding colonies, but there is a very significant problem. The pressure in it reaches 0.6 kPa, which is very low. For comparison: one atmosphere is equal to approximately 100 kPa, which is 110 times more than the stated value. Because of this, the air space is discharged, in which case, at small altitude differences of 1.5-2 meters, a difference of several tens of thermometer divisions occurs. In hot weather, the top of the soil can warm up to 27 0 C, but at a small elevation it quickly drops to zero.

In 2004, one of NASA's Mars exploration mission rovers landed on the planet. The device was called "Spirit". The device operated on the planet until January 2009 and, among other data, new information was obtained about the temperature on the surface.