Under Your Feet

55

The atmosphere

The layer of gas around a

planet is called its atmosphere.

Mars’s thin atmosphere doesn’t

filter out harmful radiation from

the Sun, such as solar wind

(particles that can damage

anything they touch).

Investigating Mars

In 2020, The European Space

Agency plans to send a rover

to Mars. Its mission is to

search for alien life that

could be buried in the soil.

Astro-gardeners

To grow plants on Mars, a

special greenhouse would be

needed to protect the plants from

the extreme temperatures.

It would also stop them

exploding in the air,

which has very

low pressure.

Astronauts

would grow

vegetables.

A special

greenhouse

could add

air pressure.

The ice caps

get so cold

that gas

freezes solid

and falls

from the air.

Water on Mars

Mars’s water has mostly been

heated into a gas by the Sun,

and has floated off into

space. However,

polar ice caps

remain.

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054-055_Soil_of_mars.indd 55 08/11/2019 09:39