This deal they sent off to Mars to look for past life... (Page 2/6)
blackrams FEB 18, 01:36 PM

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Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
I think we really need to be focusing on taking over the rest of the solar system before someone else does. Lol...



As a member of the collective, I have to inform you that resistance is futile.

Rams

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 02-18-2021).]

rinselberg FEB 18, 01:43 PM

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Originally posted by Rickady88GT:
Not being argumentative but what does a hot core have to do with gravity vrs a cool core? For example, the moon has gravity and compared to Earth it has a cool core. AND why would we think Mars has cooled or is cooled? How could asteroids have ice if a watered down planet requires a heated core to ................



Not gravity, but magnetism.

The earth's magnetic field is electromagnetic energy that is created because the iron that surrounds the very center of the earth is hot enough to behave like a liquid, even though it is under immense pressure. This is the "outer core." It's liquid enough to rotate inside the earth, like a spinning top inside another rotating top (the earth) and that creates the earth's magnetic field.

The earth's magnetic field blunts the force of the solar wind, which is that constant stream of charged particles that "blows" outwards in every direction from the sun.

Without the earth's magnetic field, the solar wind would ionize the molecules of gas in the earth's upper atmosphere and cause it to escape the earth's gravity and leak away from the earth. Atmospheric erosion. Eventually the earth's atmosphere would be reduced to the very rarefied atmosphere of Mars and earth's oceans would also evaporate to a large extent, and what didn't evaporate would be locked up in mega-sized polar ice caps.

That's what happened to Mars. Because Mars is a smaller planet, its iron core cooled all the way down to the point where it became solid and stopped producing a magnetic field. That's the gist of it.

I won't say that this explanation is "spot on" but reasonably close.

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 02-18-2021).]

rinselberg FEB 18, 02:38 PM
If someone actually wanted to, they could compare my explanation (previous message) to the explanation that was published in the always excellent Ars Technica.

"How Mars lost its atmosphere and became a cold, dry world"
Eric Berger for Ars Technica; November 5, 2015.
https://arstechnica.com/sci...me-a-cold-dry-world/

Or they could simply ignore my explanation altogether and just go with the "Berger." Can't go wrong with that.

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 02-18-2021).]

williegoat FEB 18, 02:55 PM

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Originally posted by rinselberg:

I won't say that this explanation is "spot on" but reasonably close.



Very good. I would say you got to the core of the matter and ironed it out without a lot of hot air.
cvxjet FEB 18, 04:27 PM
Rinselberg and Willie- Both very good answers.......
blackrams FEB 18, 04:28 PM
Can anyone verify Matt Damon isn't on this mission to Mars?

I'd hate to have to send a rescue ship for him.

Rams
Wichita FEB 18, 06:19 PM

[This message has been edited by Wichita (edited 02-18-2021).]

cvxjet FEB 18, 07:37 PM
Wichita.......That is as good as it gets!1 (Thank you)

And Rams.....That is a N.S. (But a great movie)
Notorio FEB 18, 07:52 PM
I could be wrong but I think the Perseverance Rover is the first interplanetary mission to carry a Helicopter . The Rover can take stereo images so between that and the Helicopter videos it should produce tons of interesting content for us Earthlings.
blackrams FEB 18, 11:11 PM

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Originally posted by Notorio:

I could be wrong but I think the Perseverance Rover is the first interplanetary mission to carry a Helicopter . The Rover can take stereo images so between that and the Helicopter videos it should produce tons of interesting content for us Earthlings.



Heard the same thing on the news today about the AI controlled copter. Pretty cool especially since Mars atmosphere is supposedly 1% of earth pressure density.

Rams