mr. k. nasa/grc/ltp edited: ruth petersen part 2 the planet
TRANSCRIPT
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Mr. K. NASA/GRC/LTP Edited: Ruth Petersen
Part 2
The Planet
Preliminary Activities
1. Use your science book,an encyclopedia, or the Internet to explore the phases of the moon.
Assume that the moon is a sphere. Explain the phases.
2. How would the appearance of the phases change if the moon had a
bulge on one side? Try using a golf ball or a tennis ball, a bright light
source, and some modeling clay to help you visualize.
3. Why do you think that the planets and their moons are spherical and not some other shape? (Hint: Assume that they
were initially molten. What can you say about gravitational potential energy? Use a physics text if
necessary.) How do you think a planet might get “out of round”?
4. Use your science book, an encyclopedia, or the Internet to list
the various cloud types seen on Earth (including fogs!). What does the
presence of a certain type of cloud tell you about the weather?
5. Use a map or an atlas to draw the shape of a major river, such as the Amazon. Become familiar with and
describe the various features.
6. Why is water important?
7. What other features of Earth as a planet do you think are important? (e.g., What makes your compass work?)
8. Use a dictionary to write a definition for the phrase “comparative
planetology.”
Mars
Earth Mars
Moon
Phobos & Diemos
COMPARATIVE SIZES
Sun
More Data on Mars
Tarsus
A Day to Remember!
Mars
Tarsus & Mariner’s Valley
Tarsus
Olympus Mons
Mariner’s Valley
Mariner’s Valley
Olympus Mons
Scale Drawing showing Relative Sizes of Mt. Everest and Olympus Mons
Was Mars ever warmer and
wetter?
?
Dry River Beds
Alluvial Fan
Ghost Crater
Morning Clouds in Mariner’s Valley
Did Mars ever have a magnetic field?Possibly. Data is still being analyzed.
N
S
Magnetic fields trap charged particles from
space.
Warmth, water, and a good
radiation shield are essential for
life.
Any Questions, Earthlings?
Follow-Up Activities
1. Make a list of planetary characteristics for Mars and the Earth.
Find similarities and differences.
2. Use an encyclopedia or the Internet to obtain information on the Hawaiian volcanoes. The Martian volcanoes are
similar. How is this significant to a Mars planetologist?
3. Why do you suppose that the Martian volcanoes are so much larger
than those on Earth?
4. Has the Earth ever been struck by a large meteorite as Mars may have
been?
5. What evidence would you look for on Earth to answer this question?
6. If there is liquid water on Mars today, it would have to reside
somewhere warm. Can you suggest any place on Mars we might find a
region warm enough for liquid water? Use your imagination - think outside
of the box!
Web Sites for Further Exploration
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/html/marspath.htm
http://marsnt3.jpl.nasa.gov
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/
http://mars.sdsc.edu/mgs/index.html
