 |
| The Red planet - JPL image |
The Mars is the beautiful neighbouring planet to Earth, and it is known for its unique and striking red surface. Even as a little spot in the nights sky you can see the faint red glow of the Martian surface. So what causes this distinctive colour? Why is it so different to any of the other planets in our solar system?
 |
| John Klein Drill Hole Sol 182 - NASA image |
The colour of the surface is actually caused by something very common on Earth, rust! It turns out Mars is just one big clump of rock with a red rust covering.
This is a form of iron rust and is caused from iron rich soil reacting with oxygen in the atmosphere. However it isn't all red. The red dust covers only a few millimetres of the top soil, and everything beneath looks a little more familiar.
Once the thin red dust is removed, grey rocks are revealed. The surface is mostly comprised of volcanic basalt rock, rich in sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium. The Mars rover Curiosity imaged one of its drill holes, and it shows just how different in colour the actual rocks are!
So there you have it! Mars is our beautiful rusty planet and it hides many surprises under the surface.
- Stay Curious
like us on Facebook
Instagram - The Physics Mix
Youtube - The Physics Mix
Twitter - @ThePhysicsMix
Email - thephysicsmix@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment