On to Mars

Amy McDowell

Madison County Harvest Elementary School

5th Grade

Leigh Schwarzel

Athens City School District

Morrison Elementary 5th grade

Mars 101

Studying the Red Planet

Phobos = “Fear” Deimos = “Panic”

Mars: Roman

God of

War

Ares: Greek

God of

War

Early civilizations

connected Mars with

war and aggression.

Moons of Mars

Fantasy

Telescopes brought beliefs of

canals and the Martians

who could have built them.

Fear and

fascination

reigned in the

1900s…

…and the

mythology

continues on

today!

The real faces on mars…

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof”

--Carl Sagan

What facts do we know about Mars??

Mars quick facts

Martian Year

• For any planet, a year is the time it takes to make one orbit around the sun.

• Because Mars is farther away from the sun, it has to travel a greater distance around the sun. It takes Mars about twice as long as it does for Earth to make one circle around the sun. Therefore, a year on Mars lasts twice as long.

Martian Moons

Phobos Deimos

Mars Missions Timeline

Mariner

Program 1964-

1971

U.S.

Mars Program

1971-1974

U.S.S.R.

Viking Program

1975-1982

U.S.

Mars Global

Surveyor

1996-2006

U.S.

Mars

Pathfinder

1996-1997

U.S.

Mars Odyssey

2001 – Present

U.S.

Mars Exploration

Rovers

2003-Present

U.S.

Mars

Reconnaissance

2005 –Present

U.S

Mars Express

Orbiter

2003-Present

European

Earth / Mars Comparisons

Mt. Everest on Earth ~ 30,000 ft

Olympus Mons on Mars

~ 80,000 Ft. Tall!

Grand Canyon on Earth

Grand Canyon of Mars/Solar System

Dust Storm in the Sahara Desert

as Viewed from Space

Dust

Storms

Happen

on

Mars

as

Well

Meteor Crater on Earth

Craters

on

Mars

Tell Us

About

Earth’s

Past

????????

Past Water on Mars

Ancient Mars?

Modern

Cold and Arid Past?

Wet and Warm?

Characterize

the Geology

Determine if Life

Ever Arose on Mars

Characterize

the Climate

Prepare for Human

Exploration

W

A

T

E

R

When?

Where? Form?

Amount?

MARS SCIENCE STRATEGY:

Follow the Water! Common

Thread

LIFE

CLIMATE

GEOLOGY

HUMAN

Earth d = 12,756 km

Moon d = 3,476 km

Size (Compare)?

Mars d = 6,794 km

(1 / 4 Earth Size)

(1 / 2 Earth Size)

Earth to Sun = 150,000,000 km (astronomical unit - AU)

Earth Circumference = 40,080 km

Earth to Moon = 385,000 km = ? x Earth Circumference

(circumference = π • d)

385,000 km

40,080 km ?

Distance (Compare)?

Earth to Sun = 150,000,000 km (astronomical unit - AU) Earth Circumference = 40,080 km

Earth to Moon = 385,000 km = ? x Earth Circumference

385,000 km

40,080 km

Distance (Compare)?

9.5 =

Earth to Sun = 150,000,000 km

Earth Circumference = 40,080 km

Earth to Moon = 385,000 km (9.5 x Earth Circum)

Earth to Mars = 78,000,000 km =

_____x Earth Circumference

Earth to Jupiter = 628,000,000 km =

_____ x Earth Circumference

Earth to Saturn = 1,280,000,000 km =

______x Earth Circumference

Earth to Uranus = 2,750,000,000 km =

_____ x Earth Circumference

Earth to Neptune = 4,350,000,000 km =

x Earth Circumference

Earth to Pluto = 5,850,000,000 km =

x Earth Circumference

Earth to Proxima Centauri = 25,800,000,000,000 km =

x Earth Circumference

Earth to Sun = 150,000,000 km

Earth Circumference = 40,080 km

Earth to Moon = 385,000 km (9.5 x Earth Circum)

Earth to Mars = 78,000,000 km =

6000 x Earth Circumference

Earth to Jupiter = 628,000,000 km =

15,700 x Earth Circumference

Earth to Saturn = 1,280,000,000 km =

32,000 x Earth Circumference

Earth to Uranus = 2,750,000,000 km =

68,600 x Earth Circumference

Earth to Neptune = 4,350,000,000 km =

108,500 x Earth Circumference

Earth to Pluto = 5,850,000,000 km =

145,900 x Earth Circumference

Earth to Proxima Centauri = 25,800,000,000,000 km =

643,712,570 x Earth Circumference

A New Arrival Phoenix Mars Lander

May 25, 2008

Landing site comparison…

Phoenix Landing Site B

Landing ellipse

•This image shows the latest estimate, marked by a green crosshair, of

the location of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. •The red ellipse was the narrowed landing area upon further calculations

after landing

•The blue ellipse was the projected landing area

238799main_11211.mp4

The Latest…

Resources http://jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix/main.php

“Getting Dirty on Mars”—Curriculum Guide

http://marsed.asu.edu/activities.php

Some of Phoenix’s Early Findings

• Phoenix found an alkaline soil environment that had not been

discovered in previous missions.

• It verified the presence of water-ice in the Martian subsurface.

• It found small concentrations of salt, which could be nutrients for

life.

• It revealed at least two distinct types of ice deposits.

• It observed snow falling from clouds and recorded weather data for

its entire mission.

• "Phoenix has given us some surprises, and I'm confident we will be

pulling more gems from this trove of data for years to come," said

Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of

Arizona in Tucson.

MERs—Where are they Now?

• Spirit: Sol 1936 Days past warranty: 1846

• Opportunity: Sol 1915 Days past warranty: 1825

SOL 330 SOL 586

Making and Using an ISS End Effector

Materials:

2 Styrofoam coffee cups

String

Tape

Plastic serrated knife

What does the Future Hold for Mars?

• 2011 NASA will be launching the Mars Science Laboratory, which

was recently named Curiosity by sixth grader Clara Ma. Its payload

will be 10 times the mass of instruments on Sprit and Opportunity.

It will be able to drive longer distances and over rougher terrain.

• The Mars Science Laboratory will be exploring areas where orbiting

spacecraft have indicated there were wet condition. The science

laboratory will check for evidence of whether ancient Mars

environments had conditions favorable for supporting microbial life.

It will also be preserving evidence of that life if it existed there.

Could your students be next?

Strange New Planet

Background The National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA) has been returning

pictures of Mars back to Earth since 1965,

when the Mariner 4 spacecraft flew past

Mars and sent back twenty-one images.

Science and technology have

progressed greatly since the early mission

days.

The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has

sent back over 100,000 pictures of the

Martian surface.

Pre-launch Reconnaissance • Using your imaging device (paint tube

with blue cellophane): This simulates Earth-bound observations.

• Arrange students against the sides of the room by teams. These areas will be referred to as Mission Control.

• To simulate Earth's atmosphere, a blue cellophane sheet is placed over the end of the tube. This helps to simulate the variation that occurs when viewing objects through the Earth's atmosphere.

• Observe the planet (s) using the viewing device for 1 minute. Discuss and record you observations of the planet.

Mission 1: The Fly-by

Remove the cellophane from the viewer

Mariner 4, 6, 7--1965, 1969, 1969 •Each team will have a turn at walking quickly past one side of

the planet.

•A distance of five feet from the planet needs to be maintained.

•Reconvene at the sides of the room (Mission Control) with your

backs to the planet.

•Record your observations and discuss what they will be looking

for on their orbit mission.

Mission 2: The Orbiter (Mariner 9, 1971-72; Viking 1 and 2 Orbiters, 1976-80; Mars Global

Surveyor, 1996-present) •Each team takes two minutes to orbit (circle) the planet at a distance of two feet. •Observe distinguishing features and record the data back at Mission Control. •Develop a plan for your landing expedition onto the planet's surface. •Plans should include the landing spot and features to be examined.

Mission 3: The Lander (Viking 1 and 2, 1976-1982; Mars Pathfinder, 1997; MER

2003-present) Each team approaches the

landing site and marks it with a push pin.

Team members take turns observing the landing site with the viewers for a total of five

minutes Within the field of view, students enact the mission plan. After five

minutes, the team returns to “Mission Control” to discuss and

record their findings.

Image Analysis

Activity Goals

Familiarize you, using a hands-on approach, with what you can see in THEMIS visible images

Start having you make observations of THEMIS visible images and possibly generating a topic of interest

Make measurements of features to incorporate mathematics

Lendable Material Sets

To do this activity in your classroom, we loan out sets of images for activities such as Mars Image

Analysis, and Mars bound

Background

Mars Odyssey Has been orbiting Mars since 2001

3 Main Instruments:

MARIE: Helps us understand the radiation environment which will help us create protective spacesuits for our

future astronauts.

Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS): Helps us determine the elements that make up Mars, like Hydrogen, for

example, which provides evidence to the possibility of water being below the surface

THEMIS: A camera that shows us both visible and infrared images of Mars.

So….speaking of images of Mars, let’s take a look at some of the latest visible images of Mars and see what

they can tell us about the planet!

Thermal Emission Imaging

System (THEMIS)

Visible Imaging

– Visible-light images with

18 meters per pixel

resolution.

– MSIP Students use this

imaging system

Infrared Imaging

– The entire planet will be

mapped in the infrared

at 100 meters per pixel

resolution.

MOLA Map

The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter has created the most accurate global topographic map of any planet in the solar system, giving scientists elevation maps precise to within about 30 centimeters (1 foot) in the vertical dimension.

Data from the laser altimeter establishes pathways for the flow of past water and the locations, sizes, and volumes of

watersheds.

Feature Identification

Chart

Context Image

MOLA Shaded

Relief

-19N, 173E

THEMIS images

are taken

during the

afternoon and

the sun is

shining from the

left

All THEMIS visible

images are ~18

km across

THEMIS Visible

Image

Context Image

THEMIS Visible

Image

-20N, 240E

Mars Image Analysis

Materials Needed:

•Context Image

•Laminated THEMIS visible image

•MOLA map of Mars

•Surface Feature ID Charts (4)

•Erasable Markers

•Ruler

•Calculator

What we will do:

Using the Feature ID Charts and the THEMIS Images poster, you

will:

1. Find your image on the MOLA map to get the bigger

picture of the context

2. Label features in your image and context image

3. Think about the “history of your area” – What’s older, what’s

younger? What’s happened here?!?

4. Make measurements: The image is 18km across, so

measure the distance across in cm and figure out the scale

of your image. (18 km / _____ cm = ??? km/cm)

Scale Factor: 1cm = ??? km

Mars Image Analysis

Extension activity

Rotate around to other images and observe how other groups identified features in their

images Have students make new observations on other

images

MSIP Overview

Students: Learn about and model the process of science

Contribute to what is known about Mars by conducting their own research Can possibly command a NASA satellite

Incorporate science, math, reading, and writing in a real-world application MSIP Student Video MSIP Teacher Video

MSIP Curriculum Curriculum manuals are available for download

MSIP Teacher Procedures Manual – created to help teachers formulate ways to incorporate MSIP

into their classroom

http://msip.asu.edu

3 Formats of Participation

On-Site The On-Site Format of MSIP provides students from across the United States with the opportunity to conduct part of

their research at the Mars Space Flight Facility on the campus of Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

Distance Learning The Distance Learning Format of MSIP provides students

from across the United States with the opportunity to conduct their research at their school site and by periodically

connecting to staff at the Mars Space Flight Facility via internet, video and/or teleconferences.

Archived The Archived-data format of MSIP provides students with

the opportunity to get connected to staff at the Mars Space Flight Facility via nationwide internet, video and/or

teleconferences. This format allows teachers the freedom to use available curricular materials as they see fit.

Mars Student Imaging Project Teams Diverse groups of students

MSIP Distance Learning Opportunities

You can participate in upcoming Distance Learning opportunities with MSIP

Dates TBA (usually 4 in the fall, and 4 in the spring)

NSTA Web Symposium 90-minute, live professional development experiences

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/webseminars.aspx

Mars Exploration Student Data

Teams

• Virtual teams of students

connected nationally through electronic bulletin boards solving

real-world problems using

spacecraft at Mars

•Students learn to use real data

applications from current missions

to support science return

http://ratw.asu.edu/

Mars Scientists are asking students from around the world to help them understand the red planet. Send in a rock collected by you or your classroom from your region of the world and we will use a special tool like the one on the Mars Exploration Rovers to tell you what

it's made of.

http://imaginemars.jpl.nasa.gov

The Imagine Mars Project is a national arts, sciences, and technology education initiative that leads

students to work together with scientists, engineers, artists, and civic leaders to design and share a

futuristic Mars community for 100 people.

http://mp2.mars.asu.edu/ The Mars Public Mapping Project is a web-based education and public outreach tool developed by

the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State University.

This tool allows the general public to identify and map geologic features on Mars, utilizing Thermal

Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) visible images, allowing public participation in authentic scientific

research.

EDL

Mars Websites to use in the classroom

Mars Education Website: http://marsed.asu.edu (curriculum online)

Resource CD’s

Additional Sites: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov

http://msip.asu.edu

http://mesdt.asu.edu

http://themis.asu.edu

THE WORLD AT NIGHT

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