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| What We Know About the Red Planet | ||||
| History | Water | Ice | Air | Canals |
| Seasons | Mountains | Rocks | SandDunes | Rift Valley |
| Moons | Dust Storms | Stats | Closest | Kid Pix |
| Lunar | Movies | Life Search | Wanted | Exploring Mars |
They change on the Red Planet as on Earth:
The Seasons of Mars
Just as we know seasons change on Earth, so they change on Mars.
Seasonal changes in 2001 allowed the Hubble Space Telescope to record the biggest dust storm seen in decades engulfing Mars. In June, left, storms were brewing in Hellas Basin (oval at 4 o'clock position on disk) and at the northern polar cap. In September, right, the storm obscured all surface features. Click to enlarge image from NASA, James Bell (Cornell Univ.), Michael Wolff (Space Science Inst.), and Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
The seasonal changes take place in the surface features of the Red Planet. The most obvious change is a rapid shrinking in the Spring of the polar ice cap from its large Winter size.
In Winter, the cap may reach down to 45 degrees latitude. As Summer turns to Fall, the polar cap grows back, reaching full size shortly before Winter begins.
Sometimes the darker areas of Mars, call "maria," change with the seasons. They become darker as the polar cap retreats during Spring. The darkening once was thought to be vegetation growing as water from the melting polar cap became available.
Recently, however, scientists have thought the Spring darkening may be due to winds blowing fine bright dust off darker rocks.
Observers looking at Mars through telescopes have known for a long time that dust blows about the Martian surface. Dust storms have been seen growing out of the planet's orange deserts and spreading across the landscape, sometimes covering the entire planet in a featureless red haze. More on dust storms »
Learn more: Human Exploration of Mars:
There have been three stages of exploration so farFlybys:
Probes fly by Mars taking pictures Orbiters:
Spacecraft fly into orbit above MarsLanders and Rovers:
- Orbiters
- Mariner 8-9
- Viking 1-2
- Mars Observer
- Mars Climate Orbiter
- Mars Global Surveyor
- Mars Global Surveyor home
- 2001 Mars Odyssey
- 2001 Mars Odyssey home
- Mars Express
- Mars Express home
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter 2005
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter home
Landers and rovers drop to the surfaceSand dunes: Dust Storms: Air: Carbon Dioxide: Outflow Channels: Valley Networks: Rift Valley: Ice: Ice caps: Frost: Water: Artesian Water: Mars Weather: Mars Photo Galleries: Planet features: Canals: Rocks: Mountains: Dating and aging: Seasons:
