INTERNET STUDY

(MARS - The Red Planet)

During these assignments, unless given permission to visit other websites, ONLY THE WEBSITES LISTED BELOW WILL BE USED! Turn in your worksheets to the teacher after each day of library work.

We will use the WEB SITE: http://spacelink.nasa.gov to complete these assignment questions on Mars

At the spacelink homepage, click on the letter “M” under the “LIBRARY” section, and then click on “MARS“

(To continue answering questions, you may need to click on the back arrow button to return to the previous page.)

1. Mars is known as the "Red planet" because ______________ in its surface soil long ago reacted with a tiny amount of _______________ left, making Mars _______________.

(back page and click on “MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR” (MGS)

2. The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft was designed to orbit: (Note - this is a “thinking question”)

a) Mars’ north & south poles b) Mars’ volcano Olympus Mons c) Mars’ moon Phobos d) Mars’ equator

3. One function the Mars Global Surveyor was NOT designed to perform was:

a) Provide global surface maps of Mars b) find mineral distribution on Mars

c) Monitor global weather of Mars d) Land on Mars before returning to Earth

4. In November 1996, NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), began America's return to Mars after a 20-year absence by launching the MGS spacecraft. The spacecraft entered orbit around the Red Planet on September _____, ________.

Click on Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) (in the first paragraph). Go about 1/2 way down the next page. Look at the pictures labeled “Simulations of MGS in Relation to Mars”.

5. The current date (upper left) of Earth and Mars in their orbits around the sun in the diagram is ________

6. Draw circular (or elliptical) orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars and their positions in the Solar System according to the photo date. Place the Sun in the middle and a dot where each planet is located. Label each of the four planets and the Sun.

Hit the Back page button (go back 3 pages) and return to the Mars Global Surveyor page.

Go halfway down the page and click on “NASA PROJECTS: VIKING” (or click on V back at the index page)

7. Viking was designed to orbit Mars and to land and operate on the planet's:

a) North Polar ice cap b) surface c) Largest Volcano summit d) Two Moons

8. The Viking mission with its two identical spacecraft, (Viking 1 and Viking 2), each consisted of a __________________ and an ______________________ that supported this mission to Mars.

Click on “VIKING MISSION TO MARS” (Underneath last question’s answer)

9. The Viking 1 spacecraft was launched on August 20, 1975 and arrived at Mars on _______ ____, ______

(7^th grade)

10. Three of the primary mission objectives of Viking were to: (circle THREE answers)

a) Obtain high resolution images of the Martian surface, b) set up a base camp for astronauts

c) Search for previously lost Russian and American spacecraft d) search for evidence of life.

e) Characterize the structure and composition of the atmosphere and surface,

Go Back to the Mars Global Surveyor page and click on Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) in the 1st paragraph, then click on “TARGETED OBSERVATIONS” (on the left side about 1/3 down under “Archived Mission Data”)

(The top of the page reads “MGS - Chronological Record of Targeted Observations”.)

Go down about 1/3 of the page to (20-APR-98 11:00 AM PDT) “Announcement of Third Cydonia Observation” and click on it to view the picture of the Cydonia region on Mars. Click on the picture to get a much larger and clearer view of the Cydonia region (This may take a few minutes to download).

The Cydonia region is the controversial area on Mars first photographed by the Viking spacecraft in 1976. Many people say it is where an ancient “FACE” was carved out of stone (orbit #220). Pyramids and an ancient city may also be nearby some say (orbits #239, #258). Carefully examine the photograph and tell if you can see these features or not. There are no wrong answers for these questions.

11. A “Face” in the Cydonia region. a) yes b) no c) can’t tell

12. “Pyramid(s)” in the Cydonia region. a) yes b) no c) can’t tell

13. “The City” in the Cydonia region. a) yes b) no c) can’t tell

Backpage to the “M” Index from the “Library” list and click on 2001 MARS ODYSSEY

14. During the present Mars Odyssey Mission, NASA launched a spacecraft to Mars called “Mars Odyssey”. Describe three duties that the spacecraft is designed to perform while orbiting Mars.

a. ______________________________________________________________________________

b. ______________________________________________________________________________

c. ______________________________________________________________________________

Click on 2001 MARS ODYSSEY (just below the introductory paragraph)

15. The 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter was launched on the date of _____________________ and it

arrived at Mars on the date of ___________________.

16. Calculate the exact amount of days for the Odyssey 2001 spacecraft to travel from Earth to Mars _________________. (Check a Calender)

Go back to the table of contents and click on “Mars Exploration Rover Mission”

17. What month and year did this mission to Mars begin? ________________

18. About how many months will the voyage take for the two rovers to make the trip from Earth to Mars? ____

Click on Mars Exploration Rover Mission at the first paragraph and Click on “games for kids”. Under “Games”, click on “Your weight on Mars”

19. What would you weigh on Mars? _____________________

20. What planet would you weigh the most? ______________ How much would you weigh there?________

21. (In your own thoughts and words) If you were chosen as an astronaut to make this trip, briefly describe what you personally would need to survive a trip to Mars that would take as many days as you calculated in question #15. Be specific about carry on items: Water?-How much? Food?-What kinds, How much? Other survival items?

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8^th Grade Astronomy - Internet study #3 Name __________________________