Physics Department | Astronomy at UM |  Search Advanced Search

General and Exploration

• Where did the planet Mars get its name from?
• How far is Mars from the Sun?
• How large is Mars, in terms of Earth sizes?
• Does Mars have seasons like Earth? What are they due to?
• How long is a day on Mars?
• Are there active spacecraft from Earth currently on or around Mars?
• Which spacecraft are currently orbiting Mars and mapping its surface?
• Why have we been sending spacecraft to Mars roughly every two years?

Moons

• How many moons does Mars have?
• How large are Mars' moons? Why aren't they round like ours?
• What is the origin of Mars' moons?

Surface and Atmosphere

• What does the surface of Mars look like?
• Why is the surface of Mars red?
• How can we estimate the age of a planet's surface using spacecraft photos?
• Does Mars have (active) volcanoes?
• How do the Valles Marineris and Olympus Mons compare to Earth features?
• Which of the terrestrial planets has the highest known volcanoes?
• How can a smaller planet like Mars have taller volcanoes than the Earth?
• What is the difference between the North and South hemispheres on Mars?
• How can we compare the ages of different parts of a planet's surface?
• Is there, or has there been, water on Mars?
• What kind of atmosphere does Mars have?
• Why couldn't you breathe on Mars?

Life

• What are the canals on Mars?
• What did Schiaparelli and Lowell think they saw on the surface of Mars?
• What is the current opinion on the meteorites from Mars?
• Have we proved or disproved that life exists/existed on Mars?