Mars!
On November 8 the Arizona Museum of Natural
History unveils an exciting new exhibition based
upon the spectacular new discoveries about the red
planet, Mars.
Discover in the exhibition Mars!:
- Full size Mars Rover (temporary loan)
- Quarter scale Mars Lander
- Dune machine: how are dunes created on Mars?
- Mars scale: see what you weigh on the red
planet.
- Dust devil generator: form and
characteristics of Martian dust devils.
- Pole reversal demonstration.
- Working model of rifting.
- Sediment/deposition table: searching for
water flow on Mars.
- The Face on Mars and other myths: was there
an advanced civilization?
Olympus Mons
Courtesy NASA/MOLA Science Team/O. de Goursac,
Adrian Lark.
With the recent wave of satellite exploration
around Mars and landers and rovers on the surface of
the planet, knowledge of Mars is greatly increasing.
Much of that research is taking place right here in
Arizona. The Arizona Museum of Natural History is
working with THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging
System) at Arizona State University and the Phoenix
Mars Mission at the University of Arizona, as well
as other Arizona resources, to bring these new
interpretations to the public.
Mars is in some respects a fossil planet. It now
lacks the movement of great portions of its crust
that continually reworks the surface of the Earth.
This gives us a view of Mars billions of years in
the past at a resolution impossible on Earth. We
find that Mars was once far more like Earth.
Likewise, today’s Mars may give us some idea what
lies ahead for the Earth of tomorrow. Mars is about
half the size of Earth, and its molten core has long
cooled down. Earth may one day resemble its smaller
sibling.
The Mars! exhibition explores the evidence
for this. In addition, Mars! features
outstanding interactive components. The exhibition
will explore a canyon on Mars, Valles Marineris,
that stretches the length of the United States and a
volcano as large as Arizona, Olympus Mons. It will
even present a genuine piece of Mars!
No exhibition about Mars would be complete
without an exploration of the possibility of life on
the planet. The exhibition examines the methodology
and technology for determining whether there is or
was life on Mars. It explores life on earth that
endures conditions similar to Mars, including what
to look for and the unusual places life can exist,
such as two miles below the Earth’s surface.
Mars! will examine fossils on Earth that might
resemble any fossil remains potentially found on
Mars and will consider how scientists might
recognize them as fossils.
Finally, Mars! explores the technology
that yields our modern understanding of Mars and
that will answer future questions about the planet.
This portion of the exhibition will feature models
of the actual Mars landers. This exciting exhibition
opens November 8!
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