Why is Mars called Mars? How long does it take for Mars to rotate once?

Many people think that Mars is very hot when they hear its name, but in fact, Mars is not only not hot, but even very cold. According to scientific exploration, the average temperature on Mars is around minus 23 degrees Celsius. Why is Mars called Mars? How long does it take for Mars to rotate once? Come and learn some astronomical knowledge!

Contents of this article

1. Why is Mars called Mars?

2. How long does it take for Mars to rotate once?

3. How did Martian meteorites get to Earth?

Why is Mars called Mars?

Mars is called Mars because when observing Mars with an astronomical telescope, it was found that it was red as a whole, just like a burning fireball. However, the reason why Mars is red in appearance is because its surface is covered with hematite. It is not as hot as people imagine, but extremely cold. The average temperature on Mars is around -23°C all year round.

Mars is called Mars because when you observe Mars with an astronomical telescope, you find that it is red as a whole, like a burning fireball, hence the name. The reason why Mars is red in appearance is that the surface is covered with hematite, which gives people the impression that the temperature is very high and dangerous.

About 4,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians called Mars the "Red Star", while the ancient Babylonians and Greeks kept their distance from Mars, believing it to be the "Star of Death" that would bring disaster to people and monitor the survival of people on Earth.

Mars Introduction

Mars is the fourth planet from the innermost part of the solar system, and is about 5,500 kilometers away from the Earth. It is a desert planet with a surface covered with sand dunes and gravel. There is no stable water source, and the atmosphere, which is mainly composed of carbon dioxide, is very thin and cold. Sand storms occur all year round. However, despite this, Mars is still considered to be the planet in the solar system most likely to have life.

How long does it take for Mars to rotate once?

The rotation of Mars is very similar to that of the Earth, with one rotation taking 24 hours, 37 minutes and 22.6 seconds.

Mars is the fourth planet from the inner to the outer part of the Solar System. It is a terrestrial planet with a diameter of about half that of the Earth. Its axial inclination and rotation period are similar, but it takes twice as long to orbit the Earth. In the West, it is called Mars, the god of war, and in China, it is called Yinghuoxing because it glows like fire, and its position and brightness often change. Its orange-red appearance is because the surface is covered with hematite. The average distance between Mars and the Sun is 1.52 AU, and its orbital period is 687 Earth days, 1.88 Earth years, or 668.6 Martian days. The average Martian day is 24 hours, 39 minutes, 35,244 seconds, which is 1.027491251 times that of the Earth.

How did Martian meteorites get to Earth?

After Mars was hit by a huge asteroid, rock fragments flew out and escaped the gravity of Mars. Some of them entered the gravitational range of the Earth. After friction with the air in the atmosphere and burning, the unburned fragments fell to the ground and became Martian meteorites.

So far, there are 15 Martian meteorites found on Earth, of which 5 are landfall types, 6 were found in Antarctica, and 4 were found in the desert. All Martian meteorites are non-chondrites.