Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and is an extremely cold desert world. It is covered in rusty red, iron-rich dust which is why it’s called the “Red Planet”. Mars travels around the Sun in an oval-shaped orbit which means the planet completes one revolution in 687 Earth days (Couper et al 2016). Dry riverbeds on the surface imply the past presence of water but Mars lacks the gravity to hold onto an atmosphere and it is almost devoid of oxygen (Couper et al 2016).
It is possible for water to seep up in places from ice beneath the surface but it would soon be vaporised. This suggest that Mars could have been more Earth-like with a denser atmosphere allowing large bodies of water to be found on the surface. This shows that there is a lot more on Mars that has been undiscovered and waiting for humans to study and research, currently scientists have no direct information about Mars’ interior so who knows what could be down there (‘Mars’ Britannica.com n.d.).
Astronomical research is the study of other planets and celestial objects in the universe, like Mars and the Sun (‘Astronomy’ ScienceDaily.com n.d.). If Mars is the sole focus of astronomical research for the next five to ten years it will help us to learn more about the surface of the planet and what could lie beneath (Malcolm 2017).
Around 4 billion years ago the “Red Planet” wasn’t just red, it had lakes, hot springs, volcanoes, some scientists even believe it had an ocean. If we study Mars we could learn more about its history and how close its features were to that of Earth’s (Malcolm 2017).
Methane has been discovered in the planet’s atmosphere which hints to the existence of life. But if there ever was microscopic life on Mars it would have to be found underground where it would be shielded from the Sun’s cosmic radiation. If we do find the presence of independent life it will help scientists to predict confidently that there will be life throughout the universe (Malcolm 2017).
Seeing as Mars was very close to our own planet’s surface we can see what went wrong and if the same thing could possibly happen to Earth. Scientist’s investigation of what could happen to Earth cannot just be based on one point of data, our Earth. If we are able to study Mars more we can understand the evolution of other planets, ones closely related to Earth, and can take better care of our planet (Carberry & Webster 2017).
There is an argument that Mars shouldn’t be the sole focus for astronomical research. NASA shouldn’t be pouring over USD $2.5 billion into studying a planet that isn’t relevant to us. NASA should be spending more money on our planet and its problems (Yahia 2012). Like the rising problem of climate change, rather than sending space shuttles up into the atmosphere, burning 1.8 million litres of fuel, they could help research the major issues and help society battle them (Layton n.d.). Instead of dreaming about cities on Mars and other planets we should tackle the mistakes we make here on Earth.
We can use the technologies that NASA used to hunt for water on Mars and can adapt it to help fix the serious water problems on Earth (Yahia 2012). I believe that Mars should be the sole focus of astronomical research for the next five to ten years. This is crucial because we can learn more about the “Red Planets” history and how its features were similar to that of Earth’s.
Likewise scientists currently don’t know what lies below the surface but they predict it could lead to the discovery of life on Mars. If we do find microbial life on Mars it will be a huge step forward for humans and finally answer the question are we alone in the universe.
We should also study Mars because it could help us to take better care of our planet, by understanding how other planets evolve. Studying Mars is key for the growth of our society so we should use our technology and resources to expand our knowledge and take us forward into the future of astronomy.
References
- 'Astronomy' n.d., ScienceDaily, viewed 26 October 2019, .
- Brown, E 2012, 'Is exploring Mars worth the investment?' Los Angeles Times, viewed 26 October 2019, .
- Carberry, C & Webster, J 2017, 'Six essential reasons why we need to send humans to Mars', Fox News, viewed 26 October 2019, .
- Couper, H et al 2016, The Planets: The Definite Visual Guide, S. Larter, London, pp. 110-111.
- 'Curiosity Says Farewell to Mars' Vera Rubin Ridge' 2019, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, online picture, NASA, viewed 26 October 2019, .
- Layton, J n.d., 'Top 5 Ways NASA Helps the Environment', Howstuffworks, viewed 26 October 2019, .
- Malcolm, W 2017, 'The new space race: why we need a human mission to Mars', The Conversation, Australian Research Council, viewed 24 October 2019, .
- 'Mars Once Abundant With Water' 2015, Voice of America, online picture, viewed 25 October 2019, .
- 'Mars' n.d., Britannica School, Encyclopedia Britannica, viewed 23 October 2019, .
- 'Solar System Template' n.d., edraw, online picture, viewed 25 October 2019, .
- Yahia, M 2012, 'Why waste money on the Mars landing?' houseofwisdom, blog entry, 16:08, 6 August, viewed 25 October 2019, .
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Astronomical Research On Mars.
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