{"id":3923327,"date":"2025-12-27T09:07:42","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T14:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikedyess.info\/para\/my-battery-is-low-and-its-getting-dark-what-one-of-nasas-rovers-taught-us-about-mars\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T09:07:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T14:07:42","slug":"my-battery-is-low-and-its-getting-dark-what-one-of-nasas-rovers-taught-us-about-mars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mikedyess.info\/para\/my-battery-is-low-and-its-getting-dark-what-one-of-nasas-rovers-taught-us-about-mars\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cMy battery is low and it\u2019s getting dark\u201d: What one of NASA\u2019s rovers taught us about Mars"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mars is one of the planets in our solar system that humans know most about, and for good reason. The \u201cRed Planet\u201d has been lauded by scientists because of its similarity\u00a0to Earth. The similarity convinces many that humans may be able to fashion a second home out of it. Especially considering near-apocalyptic<\/a> warnings about the devastation of climate change, the idea of a possible escape plan seems tantalizing. And nothing has taught us more about Mars than visiting it ourselves \u2026 in the form of rovers.<\/p>\n

Opportunity<\/a>\u00a0(nicknamed \u201cOppy\u201d) launched July 07, 2003, and from the outset, it wasn\u2019t expected to last long. The original mission length was just\u00a090 Martian days<\/a>, but the little rover has stayed alive for more than 15 years. NASA is expected to make a big announcement concerning the fate of the rover this Wednesday at 11 am. But first, let\u2019s talk about what makes Mars so special.<\/p>\n

The Red Planet<\/h2>\n

According to Universe Today<\/a>, it\u2019s impossible to know when Mars was \u201cdiscovered.\u201d People have observed it for over 4,000 years, since it is bright enough to be seen by the naked eye. You don\u2019t need a telescope or even binoculars. In Roman mythology, it is the god of war, borrowed from the Greek god Ares. And ancient Mesopotamian texts<\/a> refer to Mars as \u201cthe \u201cstar of judgment for the fate of the dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mars
Image<\/a> Credit<\/a>: ESA \u2013 European Space Agency & Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research for OSIRIS Team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However,\u00a0Nicolaus Copernicus is credited with a wholesale shift in science in 1543. Because of his published findings<\/a>, astronomers seriously considered that the Earth might not be the center of the solar system. And that was the beginning of discovering Mars as a planet.<\/p>\n

Later down the line,\u00a0Galileo Galilei<\/a> was the first person to see Mars via telescope in 1610. Dutch astronomer\u00a0Christiaan Huygens<\/a> was first to\u00a0draw a map of Mars that displayed terrain features in 1659.<\/p>\n

He also observed light and dark spots on the surfaces of Mars and Jupiter, and thought it to be evidence of water and ice (we now know that he was very correct about that).<\/p>\n

According to NASA, Opportunity scored a \u201chole-in-one\u201d by landing in a crater where it found hematite, a mineral that usually forms in water. However, the water was acidic, and therefore made it more difficult for life to thrive.<\/p>\n

Reddish Tint<\/h3>\n

Mars is known for its reddish tint, and according to Space.com<\/a>, there\u2019s a good reason for that:<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe simple explanation for the Red Planet\u2019s color is that its regolith, or surface material, contains lots of iron oxide \u2014 the same compound that gives blood and rust their hue.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

However, the more complex answer is that during the formation of the planet, iron, a heavy element, would have naturally gravitated toward\u2019s the planet\u2019s core. But given Mars\u2019s small size (and therefore weaker gravity) much of it would also stay up top, mixed with gas and dust. As it was exposed to oxygen, it would gain its famous reddish color. So if you wind the clock back a couple 4.5 billion years, you might see a more charcoal color.<\/p>\n

Water<\/h3>\n

Water is the signature feature we look for in a potentially habitable planet is water. And no planet gives us hope for water like Mars.<\/p>\n

PBS Nova<\/a>\u00a0explains that scientists used radar from orbital spacecraft to penetrate Mars\u2019s polar ice caps with electromagnetic waves. These waves provide a reading, and every material reflects back with varying brightness. Knowing what water looks like on radar, scientists believe they found it\u00a0underneath those ice caps \u2014 a mile beneath Mars\u2019s surface. High salt content can keep the water liquid even at -90 degrees Fahrenheit, and NASA\u2019s research<\/a> suggests Mars once had more water than the Earth\u2019s Arctic Ocean.<\/p>\n

The presence of water is the linchpin in three main questions about Mars:<\/p>\n