Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by QCity Editorial Stuff
The differences between Earth and Mars are not only visible through their red hue, but also in many other ways. These two planets have very different amounts of gravity, atmospheres, temperatures, and seasons that affect life on the planet. Mars is smaller than Earth at approximately half the size. Because of this difference in mass, there is nearly 37% less gravitational force on Mars than what we experience here on Earth. This lack of gravity has led to a loss of atmosphere over time which makes it difficult for liquid water to exist so most scientists believe that early Mars had water flowing across its surface as well as an oxygen-rich atmosphere while Earth was still being formed from molten rock. Scientists also think that higher carbon dioxide levels contributed to warmer temperatures on early Mars, but as the atmosphere thinned and temperatures dropped this carbon dioxide became frozen in ice caps at the north and south poles of Mars.
The differences between Earth and Mars are vast, but the two planets share many similarities. While both have distinct features that make them stand out from other celestial bodies in our solar system, it is important to note these characteristics so we can better understand how life has evolved on Earth.
It is easy to see why Mars would be similar to Earth by looking at its physical characteristics. Both planets’ surface gravity is relatively comparable to one another’s, which makes sense because they are both terrestrial planets (as opposed to gaseous like Jupiter or Saturn). They also orbit around the Sun within its habitable zone; this means there could potentially be liquid water on the surface of each planet depending on atmospheric conditions and temperatures (although that seems unlikely now given current climate conditions on Mars).
Comparison Between Earth And Mars
| Parameters of Comparison | Earth | Mars |
| Moon | Planet | Moon |
| Oceans | Have oceans | Do not have oceans |
| Contains | Oxygens | Carbon dioxide |
| Water | 50% | 20% |
What Is The Earth?
The earth is the only planet in our solar system that we know for sure has life. It’s also the only planet we know of where humans have been able to live and thrive.
There are many types of living things on earth, such as animals like bears and fish, plants like trees and grasses, fungi like mushrooms and yeast, bacteria such as E. coli.
The Earth is a dynamic place with many different environments. There are deserts made up entirely of dunes; rainforests full of lush vegetation; icy regions covered by glaciers or snowfields;” “and everything in between.
The earth is a large, round, natural object that orbits the sun. The near-spherical shape of the Earth gives it an approximate circumference of 24,901 miles (40,075 kilometers), and this circumference would be exactly 40 million meters if straightened out. Its surface area is 510 million square kilometers or 196 million square miles.
The Earth has only one moon to orbit around it and due to its gravitational pull from the sun, it rotates at 1675 mph on its axis making a day last for 23 hours 56 minutes, and 4 seconds which means we have 12 hours in a day instead of 24 so there are more opportunities for sleep! There are different layers within our planet such as crusts beneath oceans which can vary from over 1 mile to less than a millimeter.
What Are Mars?
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. It is also known as the red planet because of its distinct color, which comes from iron oxide on its surface. Mars is not just another pretty face in our solar system; it may have once been habitable to some form of life and could be again one day! Mars has had a long history with Earth that includes many events that shaped civilizations. The most important event was when Mars’ two moons Phobos and Deimos were captured by Mars’ gravitational pull, which changed everything for both planets forever. There are several theories about how these moons came to be orbiting around Mars, but either way, they are thought to be asteroids or comets that were caught up in the massive gravitational pulse when Mars was in an early stage of formation.
Mars has a reddish color because of its iron oxide dust, but it is not as red as some other objects in space like Betelgeuse (a star). Two moons are orbiting Mars, Phobos, and Deimos. Not much is known about these two moons besides what we can see through telescopes on Earth or photos taken by spacecraft like Vikings 1 & 2 that landed on Mars in 1976. Though they’re small, Phobos and Deimos are interesting because they both orbit very close to their planet; closer than any other moon in the Solar System does with its host planet.
10 Differences Between Earth And Mars
Moon: Earth is a planet, Mars is a moon.
Oceans: Earth has oceans and seas, while Mars does not.
Oxygen: The atmosphere of earth contains oxygen, while the atmosphere of Mars consists mostly of carbon dioxide.
Season: On earth, we have seasons that change from winter to summer depending on the hemisphere you live in – on mars there are no seasons.
Water: Earth’s landmass is about 50% water – Mars’ landmass is only about 20% water.
Temperature: The average temperature on earth ranges between 0-40 degrees Celsius (32-104 degrees Fahrenheit) while the average temperature for Mars ranges between -55 and 10 degrees Celsius (-67 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit).
Carbon: The ice caps on Mars are made of carbon dioxide, not water.
Contains: The atmosphere on Earth is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen; the air on Mars is 97% carbon dioxide and 3% argon.
Stronger: Earth has a gravitational pull that’s about 10 times stronger than Mars’ gravity.
Planet: There are six planets in our solar system, but only one planet is called “Earth”.
Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Earth
1. The Earth’s surface is 71% water.
2. There are more than 500,000 earthquakes in the world each year.
3. 1/5 of the Earth’s population lives within 100 miles of coastlines.
4. Antarctica is the largest desert on earth, with no permanent residents.
5. The average human body contains enough iron to make a nail.
6. It would take about 3 trillion trees to produce enough oxygen for everyone on Earth.
Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Mars
1. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun.
2. The atmosphere on Mars has a pressure that’s about 1% of Earth’s.
3. two moons are orbiting around Mars, Phobos, and Deimos.
4. It takes 687 days for an object to orbit around Mars (a Martian year).
5. Olympus Mons is the tallest volcano in our solar system, standing at 16 miles tall.
6. There are huge canyons like Valles Marineris which stretch 200 miles long.
Conclusion About The Differences Between Earth And Mars
The two planets are alike in many ways, but they also have characteristics that make them unique from one another. For instance, while there is life on both planets, it is more abundant on earth than it is on Mars due to factors such as gravitational pull being greater here on Earth. Another difference? They’re not even close to being the same size! One of these days we may find out if any other planet can support human life or plant life like our homeworld -perhaps someday soon with discoveries about exoplanets! If you want a little inspiration for your next trip off this blue marble where everything’s so familiar yet different, here are some quotes to help you out.
Earth and Mars are both unique planets with their own sets of characteristics. We have discussed the differences in atmospheric pressure, gravitational pull, amount of water on each planet’s surface as well as evidence found by NASA scientists to support life on Mars. For us to understand what our future may be like when we eventually colonize other planets outside of this solar system, research into how these two worlds differ from one another will continue.
References:
Resource 01: https://www.earthday.org/
Resource 02: https://mars.nasa.gov/
