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Vesta (radius 262.7 ± 0.1 km), the second-largest asteroid, appears to have a differentiated interior and therefore likely was once a dwarf planet, but it is no longer very round today. [74] Pallas (radius 255.5 ± 2 km ), the third-largest asteroid, appears never to have completed differentiation and likewise has an irregular shape.
The altitude difference between the rim and the bottom is over 9,000 m (30,000 ft). Despite being deeper than the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin , Hellas' rim peaks are significantly less prominent. This may be because large Martian impacts such as Hellas induced global hot rainfall and meltwater flows that degraded crater rims, including their ...
At the bottom of the mantle lies a basal liquid silicate layer approximately 150–180 km thick. [44] [54] Mars's iron and nickel core is completely molten, with no solid inner core. [55] [56] It is around half of Mars's radius, approximately 1650–1675 km, and is enriched in light elements such as sulfur, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. [57] [58]
For example, if a TNO is incorrectly assumed to have a mass of 3.59 × 10 20 kg based on a radius of 350 km with a density of 2 g/cm 3 but is later discovered to have a radius of only 175 km with a density of 0.5 g/cm 3, its true mass would be only 1.12 × 10 19 kg.
As if k 2 is smaller than 0.10 a solid core would be indicated, this tells that at least the outer core is liquid on Mars, [31] and the predicted core radius is 1520–1840 km. [31] However, current radio tracking data from MGS, ODY and MRO does not allow the effect of phase lag on the tides to be detected because it is too weak and needs more ...
Substituting the mass of Mars for M and the Martian sidereal day for T and solving for the semimajor axis yields a synchronous orbit radius of 20,428 km (12,693 mi) above the surface of the Mars equator. [3] [4] [5] Subtracting Mars's radius gives an orbital altitude of 17,032 km (10,583 mi). Two stable longitudes exist - 17.92°W and 167.83°E.
A detailed discussion of layering with many Martian examples can be found in Sedimentary Geology of Mars. [9] Layers can be hardened by the action of groundwater. Martian ground water probably moved hundreds of kilometers, and in the process it dissolved many minerals from the rock it passed through.
Mars comes closer to Earth more than any other planet save Venus at its nearest—56 million km is the closest distance between Mars and Earth, whereas the closest Venus comes to Earth is 40 million km. Mars comes closest to Earth every other year, around the time of its opposition, when Earth is sweeping between the Sun and Mars. Extra-close ...