Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Extra-close oppositions of Mars happen every 15 to 17 years, when we pass between Mars and the Sun around the time of its perihelion (closest point to the Sun in orbit). The minimum distance between Earth and Mars has been declining over the years, and in 2003 the minimum distance was 55.76 million km, nearer than any such encounter in almost ...
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.
In astrodynamics, canonical units are defined in terms of some important object’s orbit that serves as a reference. In this system, a reference mass, for example the Sun’s, is designated as 1 “canonical mass unit” and the mean distance from the orbiting object to the reference object is considered the “canonical distance unit”.
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this section lists lengths between 10 −9 and 10 −8 m (1 nm and 10 nm). 1 nm – diameter of a carbon nanotube; 1 nm – roughly the length of a sucrose molecule, calculated by Albert Einstein; 2.3 nm – length of a phospholipid; 2.3 nm – smallest gate oxide thickness in microprocessors
The orbital altitude required to maintain an areosynchronous orbit is approximately 17,000 kilometres (11,000 mi). If a satellite in areosynchronous orbit were to be used as a communication relay link, it "would experience communications ranges of 17,000 to 20,000 kilometres (11,000 to 12,000 mi)" to various points on the visible Martian surface.
[10] [11] Due to the effect of librations and the parallax due to the close distance of Phobos, by observing at high and low latitudes and observing as Phobos is rising and setting, the overall total coverage of Phobos's surface that is visible at one time or another from one location or another on Mars's surface is considerably higher than 50%.
Earth/Mars transfer time (days) Notes 1 1 2.135 2.23 146 Aldrin cycler 2 2 4.27 2.33 158 2 3 4.27 1.51 280 Aphelion inside semi-major axis of Mars orbit 3 4 6.405 1.89 189 3 5 6.405 1.45 274 Aphelion inside semi-major axis of Mars orbit 3 5 6.405 1.52 134 Aphelion inside semi-major axis of Mars orbit 4 5 8.54 1.82 88 4 6 8.54 1.53 157
Orbit of Mars and other Inner Solar System planets. Mars's average distance from the Sun is roughly 230 million km (143 million mi), and its orbital period is 687 (Earth) days. The solar day (or sol) on Mars is only slightly longer than an Earth day: 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35.244 seconds. [185]