A virtual ticket to Mars issued by NASA. – 20Minutes
* Audrey Chauvet
    • 02/09/2016 at 17:21
    • updated

Put Bowie in your iPod, more polar in your pack and say goodbye to your family for several months, you go to Mars. the chilly is content to visit the exhibition Explore March which begins Tuesday to Palais de la Découverte, Paris . But if you want to discover the hidden strengths of this planet the heat of the red desert of Mars and es nice little bays to toast ice water, here a worthy guide to the most seasoned backpackers. Warning, you may return processed this trip. And even more not to return at all

& gt; & gt; Read also:. Planet Mars will lose a moon to win a ring

Why go to Mars?

Because we all image of red sandstorms, desert canyons, all green Martians … Except that Mars harbors much of these treasures abundantly relayed by Hollywood clichés: “If we discovered that there was life on Mars, it would better understand the origin of life on earth, enthuses Sébastien Fontaine, Commissioner exposure Explore March . Discover bacteria or microbes on Mars, it would be historic and important, such as when it was discovered that it was the Sun was at the center of our galaxy. ? “



When to go

Aim well, the starting window is tight: we must start from 3 to 4 months before the” objection period “, that is, say when the Earth is closest to Mars. The trip takes between 6 and 11 months. In total, allow 18 months, including stay. “You have to stay at least one year on Mars because of planetary motion that requires waiting for the right time to go, advises Sébastien Fontaine. To start, it will take aim on point where the cosmos should be Earth when we reach and then hope to land in this place … Currently, send humans to Mars is a suicide operation. “You have been warned.



Geography

The southern hemisphere of Mars is a high plateau riddled with craters. The northern hemisphere is on the contrary an immense succession of plains that were perhaps the oceans there are 4 billion years.



Climate and weather

Mars is subject to hypercontinental climate: very cold, dry, with large temperature variations between summer and winter and between day and night. In summer there is an average of 20 ° C at the surface of Mars. In winter, -120 ° C. Planning a big big big sweaters.



Time difference

You might take you a hell of jet-lag. After months of travel, you arrive on a planet where a year lasts 687 days. But a day is 24h40, almost like on Earth

Currency

You will not need money to Mars, but the budget required for the trip is still hefty.: the Curiosity probe has cost $ 2.5 billion. Imagine what it would cost a ship with passengers … “It is not even quantifiable,” says Sébastien Fontaine.



Accommodation

The small friendly hostels are not widespread on Mars. As for camping, you can still try it but under a shelter that will recreate the earth conditions. Reservations on the site of NASA.



Health and Safety

There is no regrets theft or assault on Mars. health level, no vaccine is required but you may nab a good burst: he averaged -60 ° C on the red planet. You can also fall victim to some respiratory problems due to frequent ocher sandstorms in the spring. And, incidentally, suffocate in seconds due to the lack of oxygen in the Martian air.



Transportation

To move to Mars, get on a rover. Curiosity, for example, only travels 1.65m per minute, but at least you have time to admire the landscape.



Food & Drink

Provide boxes canned. For one year. Or did you start in potato cultivation but “bringing potting soil and containers to create greenhouses,” says Sébastien Fontaine. Remember that Mars is a desert where no one finds water that under frozen or gaseous form. Provide yourself with a very large gourd.

Culture and traditions

The Martian cultural life is not cavorting. As for the reception of the people we knew better. If there was life on Mars, it was only rudimentary and ephemeral: we did not really have time to write masterpieces or build palaces when you do that a niche of 1.5 billion years to develop. We Earthlings have put nearly 4 billion years to go from embryo to user stadium Snapchat

Sports and Recreation

Hiking enthusiasts will be delighted. You can climb Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in the solar system without much difficulty because its average slope is only 5 °. However, the climb is long since Mount Olympus 22km height measurement (4.5 times and 2.5 times Mont Blanc Everest). Weightlifters will also be delighted to know that on Mars gravity is much less than on Earth: a weight of 10 kilos weighs three times lighter than your earthly weight room. Fingers in the nose.



Suggested routes

If you arrive on Mars within 500km from the point you set out, you are lucky. Then we recommend you run to Mount Olympus (see above) and continue with Valles Marineris, a large network of 3.500km long canyons about 500km wide, with a depth of 7km. Sequence emotion thinking that deep down these canyons flowed a river (there are 4 billion years).



What to report?

Fossils, of course! We guarantee that if you find a fossil in the Martian sediments, you will become a star. Researchers dream of finding evidence that Martian life existed there billions of years

the exhibition Explore Mars at the Palais de la Découverte from February 9 to 28 August 2016.

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