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Mars has shone red in the night sky for as long as humans have gazed up at the cosmos, fascinating people from the ancient Romans to the present day. "The fundamental question of why Mars is red ...
Mars' distinctive red color comes from the mineral ferrihydrite, which only forms in the presence of cool water, a new study claims.. Ferrihydrite also forms at a lower temperature than other ...
Yogi Rock, analyzed by the Sojourner rover (July 4, 1997). The surface color of the planet Mars appears reddish from a distance because of rusty atmospheric dust. [1] From close up, it looks more of a butterscotch, [1] and other common surface colors include golden, brown, tan, and greenish, depending on minerals.
A study suggests Mars takes its red hue from a type of mineral that forms in cool water, which could reveal insights about whether Mars was ever able to support life.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun.The surface of Mars is orange-red because it is covered in iron(III) oxide dust, giving it the nickname "the Red Planet". [22] [23] Mars is among the brightest objects in Earth's sky, and its high-contrast albedo features have made it a common subject for telescope viewing.
The reddish hue is due to rusting iron minerals presumably formed a few billion years ago when Mars was warm and wet, but now that Mars is cold and dry, modern rusting may be due to a superoxide that forms on minerals exposed to ultraviolet rays in sunlight. [21]
The dark color is consistent with the presence of mafic rocks, such as basalt. The albedo of a surface usually varies with the wavelength of light hitting it. Mars reflects little light at the blue end of the spectrum but much at red and higher wavelengths. This is why Mars has the familiar reddish-orange color to the naked eye.
The elemental composition of Mars is different from Earth's in several significant ways. First, Martian meteorite analysis suggests that the planet's mantle is about twice as rich in iron as the Earth's mantle. [6] [7] The planet's distinctive red color is due to iron oxides on its surface. Second, its core is richer in sulphur. [8]