Since scientists started studying Mars, much has been learned about it. Robotic spacecraft have even orbited it and touched down on its surface.
Mars is a smaller planet than Earth with lower mass, leading to reduced gravity forces and thus lower gravity forces on this world.
Mass
Mars, also known as “the Red Planet,” is often called one of our solar system’s planets due to the abundance of iron oxide (rust) on its surface. Like Earth, Mars features mountains and canyons as well as a thin atmosphere primarily comprised of carbon dioxide along with some nitrogen and oxygen molecules.
Mars has a lower mass than Earth, so its gravity pull is significantly less. If you were to stand on Mars instead of Earth, your weight would only be one-third as heavy due to weaker gravity forces there and its greater distance from the sun than our own planet has in relation to the sun.
Weight of an object depends not only on its mass but also on its size; as more mass means greater weight for an item. Density also plays a part, as this determines its buoyancy or speed of impact with surfaces.
As these two concepts are often confused with one another, understanding their distinction is crucial. Mass refers to the amount of material inside an object while weight measures its gravitational force.
Science fiction fans likely know about floating people or walking on other planets and their gravity; you may even have imagined what yours would be like! Have you ever considered how far away these planets might be and whether their gravity would impact you as much if they were closer?
This calculator will assist in estimating how much an object would weigh on Mars using its radius and mass as references. It’s simple and user-friendly; available online and at most major planetariums.
Understanding Mars’ relationship between its radius and surface gravity, which is determined by mass and diameter, is vital. Comparing its radius with that of Earth reveals just how small its gravitational pull really is: approximately 11% volume and mass for Mars as opposed to Earth.
Density
Density refers to the amount of matter contained within an object such as a planet or body, which differs from weight which measures how much force is exerted upon the object by gravity. Earth has an estimated density of 5.24 grams/cm3, while Mars stands at only 3.93 (equivalent to 0.71 Earths).
Both Earth and Mars are terrestrial planets, meaning that their cores share similarities in density while overlying mantles and crust layers consist of less-dense materials. Although Earth’s core is significantly denser than that of Mars.
As is the case with Earth, Mars is tilted in its orbit, which causes its polar ice caps to expand and contract over time. Radar data and soil samples have revealed underground permafrost at some locations on Mars where underground permafrost contains frozen water; its obliquity ranges from near zero degrees where seasons do not occur to 45 deg when seasons may vary significantly.
Mars has an uneven, dusty surface covered in reddish-brown iron oxide that gives it its characteristic red hue. Additionally, it hosts some of the solar system’s tallest volcanoes and deepest canyons – most famously Olympus Mons, three times taller than Mount Everest with an area greater than New Mexico!
Mars’ surface features numerous craters that are scattered across its surface, some with unique characteristics like layers of sediment that resemble solidified mudflows, suggesting they may have formed recently, while others contain lava that fills them suggesting they were created through volcanic eruptions.
Phobos and Deimos orbit relatively closely around Mars. Scientists speculate that Phobos and Deimos were once asteroids captured by Jupiter; their low albedo and carbonaceous chondrite composition provide evidence supporting this belief.
Red Planet’s atmosphere consists of mostly nitrogen and oxygen with trace amounts of water vapor and other gases; making it less likely to support life than Earth; however, recent studies have discovered trace amounts of methane gas on Red.
Temperature
Mars experiences cold temperatures even in its summer near its equator due to being further from the Sun than Earth and having an atmosphere which allows only minimal heat loss from surface areas.
Mars’ gravity is considerably lower than our own planet’s, meaning if you were standing on its surface you would feel much lighter than if standing on Earth due to gravity’s relationship to radius squared; due to this relationship Mars has an approximate surface area of 3.389.5km2 so its gravity equals approximately 0.416 Earth radii.
Calculating how much you would weigh on Mars using a straightforward mathematical formula is possible. Simply divide Mars’ mass by its radius to arrive at its surface gravity measured in kilograms per square meter. Next multiply this figure by acceleration of gravity (3.71 meters per second squared), to calculate your weight in pounds.
Use the same math to figure out your weight on Mars if your body were mostly water, although this method may not provide an accurate reflection of your true weight as its density depends on other variables like how quickly and the shape of your muscles.
Although evidence shows that liquid water existed on Mars at some point, its temperatures are currently too cold to support sustained subsurface liquid water bodies, while its air is so thin and dry that any droplets would rapidly vaporize as soon as they reached the surface.
Scientists have succeeded in keeping liquid water liquid at temperatures as low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit, yet on Mars you would require far more water than your weight in spacecraft can transport.
Mars’ surface ice caps are predominantly composed of water ice, with some dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) present at its northern and southern poles. Ice caps form during winter on Mars’ surface before eventually melting away in summer when their tilt changes. According to one estimate, over 100-million year periods, its tilt shifted dramatically; going from near zero degrees now to up to 80 degrees over that period.
Atmosphere
Atmosphere of any planet refers to the layer of gases surrounding it, held together by gravity and composed of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and helium. Thickness varies by location with near surface areas having denser air than higher altitude areas; Mars’ atmosphere is around 100 times less dense than our own but still thick enough for clouds, winds and weather systems to form.
Mars’ thin atmosphere also allows solar radiation to escape and creates an extremely cold climate, contributing to why there are no permanent lakes or rivers on its surface – though hydrogen spotted from orbit suggests there might still be pockets of liquid water under its ice caps.
Mars does not possess an electromagnetic field like Earth does, though there are certain regions with faint magnetic remnants which might once have existed more strongly – these appear in deep impact basins and volcanic zones of the southern hemisphere while on northern plains there may be less field lines.
Mars’ atmosphere contains three main layers similar to those on Earth; these include the troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere. Of particular note is the troposphere – an air pressure region where gasses continually mix. Furthermore, this layer produces most of its weather patterns.
The stratosphere is an atmospheric layer with relatively stable temperatures that is home to the ozone layer – essential protection from ultraviolet radiation – as well as being located above both troposphere and mesosphere layers. Furthermore, mesosphere is located on earth’s outermost region of its atmosphere; spacecraft entering this realm leave smoke trails as they travel through.
Phobos and Deimos, Mars’ two moons, are thought to be former asteroids captured by its gravity. Both moons share similar low albedo characteristics with asteroids and unstable orbits suggest they were captured fairly recently. If their current path continues, Phobos and Deimos may either eventually collide into Mars directly or disintegrate and leave behind dust rings around its perimeter.