Mission To Mars
"Mars is Ours"
Here at IMCO we aim to get our Space Explores onto Mars
Those interested in becoming astronauts for IMCO must have a general understanding of the planet and events that occur on it based on the positions of Mars, its moons, and the Sun. This brochure will teach astronauts the necessary information they will need to become a certified IMCO space explorer.
Understanding day and night on Mars
In order for our astronauts to have proper sleep cycles while exploring Mars, they must have an understanding of day and night on the planet. As some of you aspiring IMCO astronauts may know, Mars has day and night similar to Earth. All IMCO astronauts know that since Mars rotates on an axis around our Sun, at anyone time, half of the planet will be facing the Sun (day) and half of the planet will be facing away from the Sun (night). The planet rotates on its axis once every 24 hours and 39 minutes, so half that time it is day and half that time is night.
Understanding years on Mars
For IMCO's space explorers to properly understand the sky above Mars, they must know about a year on Mars. Like Earth, a year on Mars is the time it takes for the planet to make one full revolution around the Sun. What most astronauts don't know though, is that a year on Mars is 1 Earth year, 320 Earth days, and 18.2hr. Because a year on Mars is almost twice the time of a year on Earth, astronauts must understand that although they may only be on the planet for one Mars year, it will actually be about two Earth years.
Understanding Seasons on Mars
Dressing right on Mars will keep IMCO's astronauts happy, healthy, and productive so all of them must understand the seasons of Mars to effectively conduct research. Just like Earth, Mars has four distinct seasons; summer, winter, spring, and fall. This happens because Mars' axis is at a 25.19° tilt so that at different points in the planets orbit, different hemispheres of the planet will be tilted towards the Sun (summer), away from the Sun (winter), and not tilted toward or away from the Sun (spring and fall). The only difference is that all of them will be colder than winter on Earth because Mars is much farther away from the Sun than Earth. Astronauts must know what season it is on Mars to prepare for the outdoor conditions.
Understanding Phases of the Moon on Mars
For IMCO's astronauts to properly explore the moons of Mars, they must understand the phases of the moons to fully grasp moon exploration. The first thing that IMCO's astronauts must realize about Mars' moons is that they have phases. This is because Mars' two moons, (Phobos and Deimos) both orbit the planet on a different plain than the planet orbits the Sun so that at different points in the moons orbits around Mars, only certain parts of the moons can be seen at different times from the surface of Mars. Because of this, both moons of Mars have phases. If IMCO's Space Explorers know this, they will know when the planet will be most illuminated for the best viewing experience to most effectively study the moons.
Understanding Tides on Mars
Luckily as astronauts exploring Mars, IMCO's Space Explorers will not have to worry about tides on Mars. That is because although Mars has moons to pull on the planet to cause tides, there are no bodies of water for tides to exist in. As a result, IMCO astronauts will have one less thing to worry about when traveling to Mars.
Understanding eclipses on Mars
One amazing event that IMCO's astronauts will be able to experience on Mars are eclipses. They will occur on Mars because Mars has moons that sometimes will fall into the same plane as the planet during a full or new moon phase so that either the planet will block the Suns light from hitting a moon, (Lunar eclipse) or when a moon will block the Suns light from hitting Mars. (solar eclipse) It is recommended for all IMCO astronauts to know when these eclipses will take place to experience their beauty.
Similarities and Differences between Earth and Mars
Before traveling to Mars, all of IMCO's astronauts must know some major similarities and major differences between Earth and Mars to be prepared for life on Mars. A very important difference between Earth and Mars is that Mars is much farther away from the Sun than Earth. Because of this Mars is going to be much colder than Earth. Even in summer the planet will be colder than winter on Earth. Another major difference between Mars and Earth is that there is no water on Mars. Because of this there will be no tides on Mars, but more importantly, astronauts traveling to Mars will have to find an alternative way to get water. Now to put some astronauts at ease, here are some major similarities between Mars and Earth that you will get to experience on Mars. First, a day on Mars is only forty minutes longer than a day on Earth. This is because a day on a planet is how long it takes for a planet to make one full rotation on its axis. Generally the bigger the planet the shorter the day. Because a day on Mars is only forty minutes longer than a day on Earth, IMCO's astronauts will no have a messed up sleep cycle. Lastly a huge similarity between Earth and Mars is that they both revolve around the Sun. This means that this planet is a neighbor to Earth is isn't that far away so it is possible to reach it. Also revolving around the same star as Earth means that Mars can observe different parts of space at the same time as Earth. As Earth is on one side of the Sun during its orbit, Mars can be on the other exploring a different side of space as Earth.
Photo Sources
Photo 2- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/space/8950104/Large-parts-of-Mars-habitable.html
Photo 3-http://www.rowan.edu/planetarium/marshoax.html
Photo 4- http://www.rutgersprep.org/kendall/7thgrade/cycleA_2012-13/09_NL/Moons_of_MarsNL.html
Photo 5- http://www.astroarn.com/solarsystem/h16d2514f#h16d2514f