Chapter 9

The Terrestrial Planets

Mercury: The Messenger

Mercury’s temperature range is the most extreme in the solar system

• 59 day rotation and

• lack of an appreciable atmosphere means temperatures vary enormously from one side of the planet to the other.

• Temperatures range from -280°F to 660°F

Venus: The Fatal Beauty

Venus: The Fatal Beauty

clouds on Venus consists of 96%

carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid!

The Temperature of VenusThe runaway greenhouse effect heats Venus’s

surface to 900oF!

Venus’s Surface: Venera 1981

Venus’s Surface: Radar Mapping Magellan 1990

Mars: The Warrior

Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos, look more like potatoes than spheres

Valles Marineris is many times larger than the Grand Canyon

Enormous volcanoes

The Largest Volcano in The Solar System:Olympus Mons

Water on Mars?

Water on Mars?

Ohio River valley on Earth

River channels on Mars

Spirit and Opportunity 2004

Curiosity lands on Mars, August 5th 2012

Life on Mars?

Martian meteorite blasted from Mars 15 million years ago and landed in Antarctica 13,000 years ago

Fossil?

Human Exploration of Mars?

Privatization of Space