Mars is the closest planet to us. The distance from Earth to Mars varies: from 54.5 million km to 401.3 million km. As is clear, the change in distance occurs due to the movement of these planets in their orbits. Every 26 years there is a minimum distance from Earth to Mars (54.5 million km). At this moment, the red planet is located opposite the Sun. This phenomenon is called resistance. Between Mars and the Sun, the average distance is 227.92 million km. This is 1.5 times the path between the Earth and the Sun. The radius of Mars is 3,390 km, which is half the radius of the Earth.
The climate on Mars is much colder than ours. The lowest recorded temperature on the surface reaches -125°C. This deadly frost was observed at the poles during the winter season. The highest temperature is +25°C. It is recorded in the summer at the equator of the planet. The average temperature of Mars is -60°C.
Like all the planets of our system, Mars revolves around the Sun in its orbit, which has the shapeellipse. One year lasts on the red planet 687 Earth days. One day on Mars lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds.
The axis of rotation of the planet is at an angle relative to the orbit 25, 19°. This indicator near the Earth is 23.45 °. The angle of a planet's tilt affects the amount of light from the Sun that hits the surface at any given time. This phenomenon provokes the emergence and change of seasons.
Sufficiently aggressive climate (besides the unimaginable cold, there are also strongest volcanoes and wild winds on the planet) makes it difficult to make expeditions. However, this has not stopped scientists in the past from speculating that intelligent life exists on Mars. Modern scientists, more enlightened, are supporters of the theory that life on Mars existed much earlier.
At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, automatic spacecraft visited the red planet. These expeditions were made when the distance from Earth to Mars was at a minimum in order to reduce the flight time. These artificial satellites conducted research on the surface of the planet and its atmosphere. However, they could neither prove nor disprove the theory of a former life. Only additional doubts appeared.
The ideal exploration, which could destroy all disputes and myths about the red planet, would be an expedition with a man. However, the main reason why this is impossible is not even the huge, by human standards, distance from Earth to Mars, but the incredible risk. The fact,that outer space is filled with gamma rays and radioactive protons, exposure to which will cause enormous harm to the he alth of astronauts.
A particular danger to humans in space is the flow of ionized nuclei, the speed of which reaches the speed of light. These beams are capable of penetrating the skin of the ship and the suit. Once in the human body, they destroy DNA strands, damage and destroy genes. For example, during a flight to the moon, astronauts managed to see a flash of such rays. Most of the expedition members then developed cataracts in their eyes. Based on the fact that the distance from the Earth to Mars is much greater than to the Moon (the expedition to our natural satellite lasted only a few days, and it will take at least a year to the red planet), we can assume how much it will affect the he alth of the study participants.
And no matter how far from Earth to Mars, how aggressive the environment is on it, and how dangerous such a journey is, interest in this planet will not dry up soon, as its secrets will last for many more generations.
