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!Solar/Describe/Mars
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Zipped Apps » Orrery |
| Filename: | !Solar/Describe/Mars |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 077F bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is the first of the "superior" planets, indicating that its orbit is further from the Sun than that of the Earths. It has two very small moons, Phobos and Deimos. Like Earth, Venus and Mercury, Mars is a rocky planet, but is relatively small, being between Mercury and Venus in size. It has many striking surface features such as Olympus Mons, a giant volcano three times the height of Everest and with a base 600km in diameter. An extensive valley complex named Valles Marineris, can be followed for a total length of over 4,500km and in places descends to 7km below the rim. The Martian atmosphere is composed mainly of carbon dioxide (95%), the rest being made up from nitrogen and argon. The surface pressure is very low at around 10mb, due to the lack of depth of atmosphere. Under these conditions, liquid water cannot exist on the planets surface, however there is plenty of H2O on Mars, locked up for example, in the polar caps and probably underground. The range of temperatures experienced on the planets surface is very wide. Away from the equator, maximum daytime temperatures reach only -30 degrees C, while on the equator this can rise to over 22 degrees C, but the thin atmosphere is a poor heat retainer and night-time temperatures fall to around -100 degrees C in even the warmest of places. The wide range of temperatures are the cause of extremely high winds across the planet, producing fearsome dust storms which can be seen with telescopes from the Earth. Coupled with seasonal changes at the poles, the surface appearance is constantly changing. The first accurate information gained about the planet came from the American Mariner missions conducted during the 1960's and culminating in the Mariner 9 launch in 1971. Viking 1 and 2 were to land on the planet in 1976 and provided the first views from the planets surface.
00000000 4d 61 72 73 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 75 72 |Mars is the four| 00000010 74 68 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 74 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 |th planet from t| 00000020 68 65 20 53 75 6e 2e 20 49 74 20 69 73 20 74 68 |he Sun. It is th| 00000030 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 0a |e first of the .| 00000040 22 73 75 70 65 72 69 6f 72 22 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 |"superior" plane| 00000050 74 73 2c 20 69 6e 64 69 63 61 74 69 6e 67 20 74 |ts, indicating t| 00000060 68 61 74 20 69 74 73 20 6f 72 62 69 74 20 69 73 |hat its orbit is| 00000070 20 66 75 72 74 68 65 72 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 0a 74 | further from .t| 00000080 68 65 20 53 75 6e 20 74 68 61 6e 20 74 68 61 74 |he Sun than that| 00000090 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 45 61 72 74 68 73 2e 20 | of the Earths. | 000000a0 49 74 20 68 61 73 20 74 77 6f 20 76 65 72 79 20 |It has two very | 000000b0 73 6d 61 6c 6c 20 6d 6f 6f 6e 73 2c 20 0a 50 68 |small moons, .Ph| 000000c0 6f 62 6f 73 20 61 6e 64 20 44 65 69 6d 6f 73 2e |obos and Deimos.| 000000d0 20 4c 69 6b 65 20 45 61 72 74 68 2c 20 56 65 6e | Like Earth, Ven| 000000e0 75 73 20 61 6e 64 20 4d 65 72 63 75 72 79 2c 20 |us and Mercury, | 000000f0 4d 61 72 73 20 69 73 20 61 20 0a 72 6f 63 6b 79 |Mars is a .rocky| 00000100 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 74 2c 20 62 75 74 20 69 73 20 | planet, but is | 00000110 72 65 6c 61 74 69 76 65 6c 79 20 73 6d 61 6c 6c |relatively small| 00000120 2c 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 62 65 74 77 65 65 6e 20 |, being between | 00000130 4d 65 72 63 75 72 79 20 61 6e 64 20 0a 56 65 6e |Mercury and .Ven| 00000140 75 73 20 69 6e 20 73 69 7a 65 2e 20 49 74 20 68 |us in size. It h| 00000150 61 73 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 73 74 72 69 6b 69 6e 67 |as many striking| 00000160 20 73 75 72 66 61 63 65 20 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 | surface feature| 00000170 73 20 73 75 63 68 20 61 73 20 0a 4f 6c 79 6d 70 |s such as .Olymp| 00000180 75 73 20 4d 6f 6e 73 2c 20 61 20 67 69 61 6e 74 |us Mons, a giant| 00000190 20 76 6f 6c 63 61 6e 6f 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 74 | volcano three t| 000001a0 69 6d 65 73 20 74 68 65 20 68 65 69 67 68 74 20 |imes the height | 000001b0 6f 66 20 45 76 65 72 65 73 74 20 0a 61 6e 64 20 |of Everest .and | 000001c0 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 62 61 73 65 20 36 30 30 6b |with a base 600k| 000001d0 6d 20 69 6e 20 64 69 61 6d 65 74 65 72 2e 20 41 |m in diameter. A| 000001e0 6e 20 65 78 74 65 6e 73 69 76 65 20 76 61 6c 6c |n extensive vall| 000001f0 65 79 20 63 6f 6d 70 6c 65 78 20 0a 6e 61 6d 65 |ey complex .name| 00000200 64 20 56 61 6c 6c 65 73 20 4d 61 72 69 6e 65 72 |d Valles Mariner| 00000210 69 73 2c 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 66 6f 6c 6c 6f |is, can be follo| 00000220 77 65 64 20 66 6f 72 20 61 20 74 6f 74 61 6c 20 |wed for a total | 00000230 6c 65 6e 67 74 68 20 6f 66 20 0a 6f 76 65 72 20 |length of .over | 00000240 34 2c 35 30 30 6b 6d 20 61 6e 64 20 69 6e 20 70 |4,500km and in p| 00000250 6c 61 63 65 73 20 64 65 73 63 65 6e 64 73 20 74 |laces descends t| 00000260 6f 20 37 6b 6d 20 62 65 6c 6f 77 20 74 68 65 20 |o 7km below the | 00000270 72 69 6d 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 4d 61 72 74 69 61 |rim...The Martia| 00000280 6e 20 61 74 6d 6f 73 70 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 |n atmosphere is | 00000290 63 6f 6d 70 6f 73 65 64 20 6d 61 69 6e 6c 79 20 |composed mainly | 000002a0 6f 66 20 63 61 72 62 6f 6e 20 64 69 6f 78 69 64 |of carbon dioxid| 000002b0 65 20 0a 28 39 35 25 29 2c 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 |e .(95%), the re| 000002c0 73 74 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 6d 61 64 65 20 75 70 |st being made up| 000002d0 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 6e 69 74 72 6f 67 65 6e 20 61 | from nitrogen a| 000002e0 6e 64 20 61 72 67 6f 6e 2e 20 54 68 65 20 0a 73 |nd argon. The .s| 000002f0 75 72 66 61 63 65 20 70 72 65 73 73 75 72 65 20 |urface pressure | 00000300 69 73 20 76 65 72 79 20 6c 6f 77 20 61 74 20 61 |is very low at a| 00000310 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 31 30 6d 62 2c 20 64 75 65 20 |round 10mb, due | 00000320 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 63 6b 20 6f 66 20 0a |to the lack of .| 00000330 64 65 70 74 68 20 6f 66 20 61 74 6d 6f 73 70 68 |depth of atmosph| 00000340 65 72 65 2e 20 55 6e 64 65 72 20 74 68 65 73 65 |ere. Under these| 00000350 20 63 6f 6e 64 69 74 69 6f 6e 73 2c 20 6c 69 71 | conditions, liq| 00000360 75 69 64 20 77 61 74 65 72 20 0a 63 61 6e 6e 6f |uid water .canno| 00000370 74 20 65 78 69 73 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 |t exist on the p| 00000380 6c 61 6e 65 74 73 20 73 75 72 66 61 63 65 2c 20 |lanets surface, | 00000390 68 6f 77 65 76 65 72 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 |however there is| 000003a0 20 70 6c 65 6e 74 79 20 6f 66 20 0a 48 32 4f 20 | plenty of .H2O | 000003b0 6f 6e 20 4d 61 72 73 2c 20 6c 6f 63 6b 65 64 20 |on Mars, locked | 000003c0 75 70 20 66 6f 72 20 65 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 2c 20 |up for example, | 000003d0 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 6f 6c 61 72 20 63 61 70 |in the polar cap| 000003e0 73 20 61 6e 64 20 0a 70 72 6f 62 61 62 6c 79 20 |s and .probably | 000003f0 75 6e 64 65 72 67 72 6f 75 6e 64 2e 20 54 68 65 |underground. The| 00000400 20 72 61 6e 67 65 20 6f 66 20 74 65 6d 70 65 72 | range of temper| 00000410 61 74 75 72 65 73 20 65 78 70 65 72 69 65 6e 63 |atures experienc| 00000420 65 64 20 6f 6e 20 0a 74 68 65 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 |ed on .the plane| 00000430 74 73 20 73 75 72 66 61 63 65 20 69 73 20 76 65 |ts surface is ve| 00000440 72 79 20 77 69 64 65 2e 20 41 77 61 79 20 66 72 |ry wide. Away fr| 00000450 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 65 71 75 61 74 6f 72 2c 20 |om the equator, | 00000460 0a 6d 61 78 69 6d 75 6d 20 64 61 79 74 69 6d 65 |.maximum daytime| 00000470 20 74 65 6d 70 65 72 61 74 75 72 65 73 20 72 65 | temperatures re| 00000480 61 63 68 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 2d 33 30 20 64 65 67 |ach only -30 deg| 00000490 72 65 65 73 20 43 2c 20 77 68 69 6c 65 20 6f 6e |rees C, while on| 000004a0 20 0a 74 68 65 20 65 71 75 61 74 6f 72 20 74 68 | .the equator th| 000004b0 69 73 20 63 61 6e 20 72 69 73 65 20 74 6f 20 6f |is can rise to o| 000004c0 76 65 72 20 32 32 20 64 65 67 72 65 65 73 20 43 |ver 22 degrees C| 000004d0 2c 20 62 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 74 68 69 6e 20 0a |, but the thin .| 000004e0 61 74 6d 6f 73 70 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 61 20 |atmosphere is a | 000004f0 70 6f 6f 72 20 68 65 61 74 20 72 65 74 61 69 6e |poor heat retain| 00000500 65 72 20 61 6e 64 20 6e 69 67 68 74 2d 74 69 6d |er and night-tim| 00000510 65 20 74 65 6d 70 65 72 61 74 75 72 65 73 20 0a |e temperatures .| 00000520 66 61 6c 6c 20 74 6f 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 2d |fall to around -| 00000530 31 30 30 20 64 65 67 72 65 65 73 20 43 20 69 6e |100 degrees C in| 00000540 20 65 76 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 72 6d 65 73 | even the warmes| 00000550 74 20 6f 66 20 70 6c 61 63 65 73 2e 0a 0a 54 68 |t of places...Th| 00000560 65 20 77 69 64 65 20 72 61 6e 67 65 20 6f 66 20 |e wide range of | 00000570 74 65 6d 70 65 72 61 74 75 72 65 73 20 61 72 65 |temperatures are| 00000580 20 74 68 65 20 63 61 75 73 65 20 6f 66 20 65 78 | the cause of ex| 00000590 74 72 65 6d 65 6c 79 20 68 69 67 68 20 0a 77 69 |tremely high .wi| 000005a0 6e 64 73 20 61 63 72 6f 73 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 |nds across the p| 000005b0 6c 61 6e 65 74 2c 20 70 72 6f 64 75 63 69 6e 67 |lanet, producing| 000005c0 20 66 65 61 72 73 6f 6d 65 20 64 75 73 74 20 73 | fearsome dust s| 000005d0 74 6f 72 6d 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 0a 63 61 6e |torms which .can| 000005e0 20 62 65 20 73 65 65 6e 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 65 | be seen with te| 000005f0 6c 65 73 63 6f 70 65 73 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 |lescopes from th| 00000600 65 20 45 61 72 74 68 2e 20 43 6f 75 70 6c 65 64 |e Earth. Coupled| 00000610 20 77 69 74 68 20 0a 73 65 61 73 6f 6e 61 6c 20 | with .seasonal | 00000620 63 68 61 6e 67 65 73 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 70 |changes at the p| 00000630 6f 6c 65 73 2c 20 74 68 65 20 73 75 72 66 61 63 |oles, the surfac| 00000640 65 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 61 6e 63 65 20 69 73 20 |e appearance is | 00000650 0a 63 6f 6e 73 74 61 6e 74 6c 79 20 63 68 61 6e |.constantly chan| 00000660 67 69 6e 67 2e 20 54 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 |ging. The first | 00000670 61 63 63 75 72 61 74 65 20 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 |accurate informa| 00000680 74 69 6f 6e 20 67 61 69 6e 65 64 20 0a 61 62 6f |tion gained .abo| 00000690 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 74 20 63 61 |ut the planet ca| 000006a0 6d 65 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 41 6d 65 72 |me from the Amer| 000006b0 69 63 61 6e 20 4d 61 72 69 6e 65 72 20 6d 69 73 |ican Mariner mis| 000006c0 73 69 6f 6e 73 20 0a 63 6f 6e 64 75 63 74 65 64 |sions .conducted| 000006d0 20 64 75 72 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 31 39 36 30 | during the 1960| 000006e0 27 73 20 61 6e 64 20 63 75 6c 6d 69 6e 61 74 69 |'s and culminati| 000006f0 6e 67 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 4d 61 72 69 6e 65 |ng in the Marine| 00000700 72 20 39 0a 6c 61 75 6e 63 68 20 69 6e 20 31 39 |r 9.launch in 19| 00000710 37 31 2e 20 56 69 6b 69 6e 67 20 31 20 61 6e 64 |71. Viking 1 and| 00000720 20 32 20 77 65 72 65 20 74 6f 20 6c 61 6e 64 20 | 2 were to land | 00000730 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 74 20 69 6e |on the planet in| 00000740 20 0a 31 39 37 36 20 61 6e 64 20 70 72 6f 76 69 | .1976 and provi| 00000750 64 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 76 69 |ded the first vi| 00000760 65 77 73 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 70 6c 61 |ews from the pla| 00000770 6e 65 74 73 20 73 75 72 66 61 63 65 2e 0a 0a |nets surface...| 0000077f
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