In Search of Life on MarsWhat I’ll Talk AboutThe High HopesFrom Schiaparelli…To Percival LowellLowell’s Observations and ExplanationMore Historical BackgroundMariner 4, 6 and 7Mariner 4 PhotographsMariners 6 and 7A Time to Fail and SucceedMariner’s AtmosphereMariner 9 PhotographsA Prelude to VikingViking LiftoffViking InstrumentsArrival at MarsAnother Giant Leap for MankindThe Viking LookViking Orbiter PhotographThe Face on MarsThe Face on Mars - CaptionThe Changing FaceViking Lander PhotographReach Out and TouchFirst Results from Soil SampleA Mass DisappointmentLooking for LifePyrolytic Release ExperimentGas Exchange ExperimentLabeled Release ExperimentBiology Experiment ResultsExplaining Biology AwayLevin’s View TodayViking’s View of AtmosphereFirst Mars Weather ReportViking Looks at ClimateViking Climate ConclusionsMore on Atmospheric FindingsA Little PressureMeridional Circulation [Say What?]A Little Mars GeologyMore Beautiful PicturesSummary of Mars Landing SitesPathfinder at Ares VallisSojournerMars Global SurveyorSlide 48Recent Mission – Odyssey 2001Slide 50Slide 51A Pictorial Summary of MarsMars InteriorSlide 54Olympus MonsSlide 56Valles MarinerisHellas BasinTerrain ComparisonThe Tharsis BulgeCanyon Widening EvidenceImpact CratersSlide 63Slide 64Slide 65Meteorite from MarsStatement from Daniel S. Goldin, NASA AdministratorGoldin Statement (August 6, 1996)Science Paper by McKay et al.Paper by Scott et al.Paper by Scott and BarberA Quick Review of MarsSimplified ConclusionsReferences (books)References (web)Slide 76AcknowledgementsIn Search of Life on MarsASTR 111Fall 2004by Prof GellerWhat I’ll Talk AboutSome historya view at the start of the 20th centuryMariners to MarsViking Missionin search of life of MarsA meteoritein search of life in a rockSome latest views from MarsConclusionskeeping it simpleThe High Hopes“The planet Mars, on the other hand, exhibits in the clearest manner the traces of adaptation to the wants of living beings such as we are acquainted with. Processes are at work out yonder in space which appear utterly useless, a real waste of Nature’s energies, unless, like their correlatives on earth, they subserve the wants of organized beings.” [Richard Proctor, 1902]From Schiaparelli…As seen by telescopes from EarthAn orange-red orb, with some darker patches and bright polar caps sometimes visibleGiovanni Virginio Schiaparelli (1835-1910)1876 announced discovery of “canali” (channels) on Marsmisreported as canals (artificial) by the pressTo Percival LowellPercival Lowell (1855-1916)appointed MIT astronomy professor in 1902published booksMars (1895)Mars and its Canals (1906)Mars as the Abode of Life (1908)Lowell’s Observations and Explanation• No canals• human brain tendencies• connect unrelated points together by lines• Recent theory• Lowell’s telescope acted as an ophthalmoscope• caused Lowell to see the reflection of the radial pattern of his own retinal blood vesselsMore Historical BackgroundAt the turn of the 20th century:publication offered a reward for anyone coming forth with proof of life on another planet or anywhere in space EXCEPTING Marsjust about every major observatory had released hand paintings of Mars and some were even releasing photographs as astrophotography was in its infancyno two drawings could agree on the formations on the planet's surfacethey showed a Mars with a varied surface possessing darker and lighter areas, as well as the polar capsMariner 4, 6 and 7Mariner 4Mars flyby missionclosest approach came on July 15, 1965pictures from this mission showed no canals and a surface that was disappointingly looking like that of the moon, quite LIFELESSIn 1969 the United States launched Mariner 6 (February) and Mariner 7 (March)At closest approach (July for Mariner 6 and August for Mariner 7) both craft were at a distance of approximately 3400 kilometersMariner 4 PhotographsMariners 6 and 7The Mariners (6 & 7) contained:narrow and wide angle camerasinfra-red radiometerinfra-red spectrometerultra-violet spectrometerTemperature, pressure and atmospheric constituents were analyzedPictures were still anything but spectacularA Time to Fail and SucceedIn 1969two unsuccessful attempts by the RussiansIn 1971both Americans and Russians had unsuccessful missions to MarsRussian Mars 2 and Mars 3both equipped with lander modules but neither lander was successfulAmericans Mariner 9reached Mars during a global dust storm•the storm did eventually subside and the mission was enough of a success so as to provide pictures for the choosing of a site for landing the upcoming Viking missionsMariner’s AtmosphereFirst look provided by Mariner spacecraftMariner 9 specificallyfaced presence of a global dust stormillustrated the progress of a feature that looked very much like a terrestrial cold front, visible as a bright band extending across many of the imagessaw evidence of dust storm associated with strong windssaw large crater rim produce wave clouds, believed to be composed of water ice (resembling "sonic boom shock wave”) produced by strong low level winds passing over the cratersaw day-to-day variations indicative of day-to-day weather changes and frontal systemsMariner 9 PhotographsA Prelude to VikingFirst approved in December of 1968 for a 1973 launchLaunch date postponed due to Congressional funding cutbacksIdea was to launch the craft in 1975 for a landing to take place on Independence Day in 1976Viking 1 was to be launched on August 11, 1975 but was postponed due to a malfunctionWhile fashioning repairs for the spacecraft, the twin unit was substituted and so Viking 2 became Viking 1 and vice versaViking LiftoffViking 1 launched August 20, 1975Viking 2 launched September 9, 1975Each Viking orbiter consisted of:television camera systeman atmospheric water detectoran infra-red thermal mapperViking InstrumentsEach Viking lander contained:television camera systemgas chromatograph mass spectrometerx-ray fluorescence spectrometerseismometerbiology labweather stationsampler armEach aeroshell contained:a retarding potential analyzerupper-atmosphere mass spectrometerArrival at MarsViking 1 arrived at Mars on June 19,1976took pictures to aid in the choice of a landing site for
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