It seems that in the past Mars has been attracting a lot of attention. What makes it more important than other planets?
Jacqui Answer: Jacqui, I wouldn’t say Mars is really more important than other places, but it is very interesting and convenient. First, it it our closest neighbor in the Solar System (other than the moon), which makes it easier for us to go there and study than other farther away obejcts and planets. Second one of the main goals of NASA right now is to search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. We currently understand that life needs 3 things to survive: organics (like the carbon that helps make up our bodies), energy (such as heat or sunlight) and most importantly water. There are currently three object in our Solar Systme that meet these requirements: Earth (obviously), Europa (a moon of Jupiter) and Mars. Since Mars is close and seems to have evidence for water once on its surface it seem a good place to look for past life even if life can no longer exsist there now. So that is why it is receiving so much attention. I hope this helps!
Related Questions
- It seems that in the past Mars has been attracting a lot of attention. What makes it more important than other planets?
- Why has Dubai been attracting so much international attention as an investment opportunity in recent years?
- What are the rotation times of the planets mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune?
