Christmas on Mars - Page 2
© Debbie St. Germain
Another difference is that you would have to give up your snowsuit for a space suit if you wanted to go on the surface of Mars. Mars's atmosphere is very thin compared to ours; and even if it were thicker, you could not breath the air, since it is only composed of 1.6% oxygen. Mars's atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide, which is the waste product we exhale, not what we want to breathe.
Something I enjoyed doing when I was younger was to go Christmas caroling in our neighborhood. Who would your Martian neighbors be? To date, no life as we know it exists on Mars, so you may be singing to ancient bacterial fossils. I wonder if they would appreciate our traditional Christmas carols or perhaps a modified version. Perhaps something like: "Dashing through the dust in a two-man Red Rover," or "Chestnuts roasting on a holographic fire," or "I'm dreaming of a red Christmas," or "Flying around the Christmas tree," or "Let it dust, let it dust, let it dust."
Spending Christmas on Mars might sound like something from a science fiction novel, but scientists are working on ways to live on Mars. Over the next ten years, NASA will be launching robotic spacecraft in preparation for a possible human expedition in the year 2020.
Be a Part of Mars Now!
Red Rover Goes to Mars You can participate in a real Mars mission. Join students worldwide to help operate a real NASA rover and science instruments on Mars!
The Mars Millenium Project The Mars Millennium Project challenges students across the nation to design a community yet to be imagined - for the planet Mars. Create your own virtual Martian community or chat and interact with other students around the world.
The Planetary Society The Planetary Society, in cooperation with the Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) science team on NASA's Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, wants to take a student-designed experiment to the Red Planet. This will be the first student-designed experiment going to Mars, and it could be yours! The contest is over, but you can see what other students have done and what experiment made the winning entry. This would make a fun science project or classroom activity, as well.
For Younger Space Explorers
Mars Madness Take a journey to Mars and explore its history, terrain, weather, and more. Fun activities and lesson plans.
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