A new study suggests a habitable past and signs of ancient microbial processes on Mars. Suggests is all science can come up with these days.
The surface of Mars receives about as much radiation as nearby points in deep space, because Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field and has barely any atmosphere, just 1 percent of Earth’s.
The best way to shield yourself from radiation on the surface would be to dig underground, using the Martian rocks and dust to absorb the radiation streaming down from above.
Martian dust is rich in perchlorates and other toxic chemicals, making it quite poisonous to humans and many other plants and animals of Earth.
Direct exposure to Martian air would boil the saliva off an astronaut’s tongue while they asphyxiate; toxic dust would be the least of their concerns.
There are massive dust storms on Mars with alarming regularity, with wind speeds of up to 100 kph [60 mph].
The average temperatures near the Martian equator typically range from 0°C (32°F) to -70°C (-94°F). So a balmy day on Mars is comparable to a brisk one on Earth, but a brisk day on Mars is as cold as the Antarctic night. And at the Martian poles, it gets far colder than any air temperature ever recorded on Earth, even in Antarctica.
The whole planet is a desert, and its scarce water is contaminated with poisonous dust and other hazardous compounds.
Nah! no plants or microbial processes.
No astronaut's in the next 1000 years and certainly no human settlements at all.
reify•49m ago
The surface of Mars receives about as much radiation as nearby points in deep space, because Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field and has barely any atmosphere, just 1 percent of Earth’s.
The best way to shield yourself from radiation on the surface would be to dig underground, using the Martian rocks and dust to absorb the radiation streaming down from above.
Martian dust is rich in perchlorates and other toxic chemicals, making it quite poisonous to humans and many other plants and animals of Earth.
Direct exposure to Martian air would boil the saliva off an astronaut’s tongue while they asphyxiate; toxic dust would be the least of their concerns.
There are massive dust storms on Mars with alarming regularity, with wind speeds of up to 100 kph [60 mph].
The average temperatures near the Martian equator typically range from 0°C (32°F) to -70°C (-94°F). So a balmy day on Mars is comparable to a brisk one on Earth, but a brisk day on Mars is as cold as the Antarctic night. And at the Martian poles, it gets far colder than any air temperature ever recorded on Earth, even in Antarctica.
The whole planet is a desert, and its scarce water is contaminated with poisonous dust and other hazardous compounds.
Nah! no plants or microbial processes.
No astronaut's in the next 1000 years and certainly no human settlements at all.