mr. k. nasa/grc/ltp edited: ruth petersen part 2 the planet

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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

joseph.c.kolecki@grc.nasa.gov