Why Do We Want to Go to Mars?

Mars is the ​ (a)   farthest planet from the sun.

• Fourth
• First
• Second
• Third
• Fifth
• Sixth

Answer explanation

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, the farthest of the "rocky terrestrial" planets from our star.

Mars is known as the "Red Planet." Which element is present in the soil that gives Mars its name?

• Iron (Fe)

• Rhodium (Rh)

• Mercury (Hg)

• Nitrogen (N)

Answer explanation

Compounds that contain the element Iron are often reddish brown in color. The iron in Martian soil causes it to appear red to our eyes.

The highest elevation on Mars is its volcano, Olympus Mons. This volcano is __ times higher than Mt. Everest, Earth's highest point on land.

• 1: They are the same height

• 2: Olympus Mons is twice the height of Everest

• 3: Olympus Mons is 3 times taller than everest

• 4: Olympus Mons is 4 times taller than everest

Answer explanation

Mars is not only known for having the tallest peak in our solar system, it has the deepest canyon, too! The Valles Marineris is a canyon that extends up to 6 miles below the surface of Mars.

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Who were the first people to study Mars?

• The Babylonians

• The Egyptians

• The Greeks

• The Romans

Answer explanation

The Babylonians were the first culture to name this planet. They called it "Negral," which means "King of Conflict." Later, it was named by the Romans for their God of War.

Match the following Astronomers to their contributions to learning about Mars:

• Length of the Martian Day

• Galileo

• Mars' Two Moons

• Tycho Brahe

• Mars Distance from the Sun

• Huygens and Cassini

• First Telescope

• Schiaparelli

• Heliocentric Solar System

• Copernicus

Answer explanation

There have been many discoveries that helped us learn more about Mars. Understanding the order of the planets, their orbits and being able to see their surfaces with new instruments all laid the foundation for spce exploration probes in the 20th and 21st cenuries.

The first successful space mission to Mars was the ​ (a)  

• Mariner 4
• Apollo 11
• Cassini Space Probe
• Project Gemini

Answer explanation

The Mariner 4 mission was the first to send back photographs of the surface of Mars. Mariner 9 took more detailed pictures and was the first satellite to orbit a planet other than Earth! This is one of Mariner 4's early photos of the Martian surface taken in 1964.

Three rovers that have traveled the surface of Mars to help us learn more about its surface are ​​ (a)   (b)   and ​ (c)   . To get full points, you need to alphabetize your answers!

• Opportunity
• Sojourner
• Spirit
• Pluto
• Chang'e 3
• Chandrayaan
• Voyager

Answer explanation

NASA has sent a total of 5 rovers to collect data and perform experiments on Mars since Sojourner landed on Mars in 1997.

What are some possible reasons for exploing Mars?

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What information would we need to gather about Mars before sending people to the surface?

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