Which planet is bigger - Mars or Earth? The planets of the solar system and their dimensions

People have always been interested in the unexplored expanses of the cosmos. Studies of other planets attracted many scientific figures, and the simple man is interested in the question of what is there in space? First of all, scientists pay attention to the planets of the solar system. Since they are closest to the Earth and easier to learn. Especially actively exploring the mysterious red planet - Mars. Let's find out which planet is bigger - Mars or Earth, and we'll try to understand how the red heavenly body attracts us so much.

Brief description of the planets of the solar system. Their sizes

From the Earth all the planets of our system seem to us small luminous dots, which are hard to see with the naked eye. It differs from all Mars - it seems to us larger than other celestial bodies, and sometimes even without telescopic equipment one can see its orange light.

Which planet is bigger: Mars or Earth? We see Mars so well, because its dimensions are huge, or is it just closer to us? Let's figure this out. For this purpose, let us consider successively the dimensions of all the planets belonging to the solar system. They were divided into two groups.

Earth group of planets

Mercury is the smallest planet. In addition, it is closest to the rest of the sun. Its diameter is 4878 km.

Venus is a planet next to the remoteness from the Sun and closest to the Earth. The temperature of its surface reaches +5000 degrees Celsius. The diameter of Venus is 12,103 km.

The earth is different in that it has an atmosphere and water reserves, which gave birth to life. Its size is slightly larger than Venus and is 12,765 km .

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. Mars is smaller than the Earth and has a diameter at the equator of 6786 km. Its atmosphere is almost 96% carbon dioxide. Mars has a more elongated orbit of rotation than the Earth.

The giant planets

Jupiter is the largest of the planets in the solar system. Its diameter is 143,000 km. It consists of gas, which is in a vortex motion. Jupiter revolves around its axis very quickly, in about 10 terrestrial hours it makes a full turn. It is surrounded by 16 satellites.

Saturn - a planet that can justifiably be called unique. Its structure has the smallest density. More Saturn is famous for its rings, the width of which is 115,000 km, and the thickness is 5 km. It is the second largest planet in the solar system. Its size is 120,000 km.

Uranus is unusual in that it can be seen with a telescope in a blue-green color. This planet also consists of gases that travel at a speed of 600 km / h. The diameter is slightly more than 51,000 km.

Neptune consists of a mixture of gases, most of which is methane. It is because of this that the planet has acquired a blue color. The surface of Neptune is shrouded in clouds of ammonia and water. The size of the planet is 49,528 km.

The outermost planet from the Sun is Pluto, it does not belong to any of the groups of planets in the solar system. Its diameter is half that of Mercury and is 2320 km.

Characteristics of the planet Mars. Features of the Red Planet and comparison of its size with the size of the Earth

So we examined the dimensions of all the planets of the solar system. Now you can answer the question of which planet is bigger - Mars or Earth. This can be helped by a simple comparison of the parameters of the diameter of the planets. The dimensions of Mars and Earth differ by half. The Red Planet is almost half as large as our Earth.

Mars is a very interesting space object to explore. The planet's mass is 11% of the Earth's mass. The temperature on its surface varies throughout the day from +270 to -700 degrees C. The sharp difference is due to the fact that the atmosphere of Mars is not so dense and consists mainly of carbon dioxide.

The description of Mars begins with an emphasis on its rich red color. I wonder what caused this? The answer is simple - the composition of the soil, rich in iron oxides, and the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. For such a specific color, ancient people called the planet bloody and gave it a name in honor of the Roman god of war - Ares.

The surface of the planet is mostly deserted, but there are also dark areas, the nature of which has not yet been studied. The northern hemisphere of Mars is a plain, and the southern hemisphere is slightly raised from the middle level and is dotted with craters.

Many do not know, but on Mars is the highest mountain in the entire solar system - Olympus. Its height from the bottom to the top is 21 km. The width of this hill is 500 km.

Is life on Mars possible ?

All the works of astronomical scientists are aimed at finding signs of life in space. In order to study Mars on the presence of living cells and organisms on its surface, this rover was visited by the rovers several times.

Numerous expeditions have already proved that earlier on the Red planet water was present. It is still there, only in the form of ice, and it is hidden under a thin layer of stone soil. The presence of water is also confirmed by photographs, which clearly show the channels of the Martian rivers.

Many scientists want to prove that a person can adapt to life on Mars. In the proof of this theory, the following facts are cited:

1. Almost the same speed of movement of Mars and the Earth.
2. Similarity of gravitational fields.
3. Carbon dioxide can be used to produce vital oxygen.

Perhaps in the future development of technology will allow us to easily make interplanetary travel and even settle on Mars. But first of all, mankind must preserve and protect its native planet - Earth, so that it never has to wonder which planet is bigger - Mars or Earth, and whether the red planet will be able to accept all those who want to migrate.