SOLAR SYSTEM

Comprise to be made up of (something), to include or consist of

(something).

Orbit to travel around (something, such as planet, or moon) in a

curved path.

Gravitation the natural force that causes things to fall towards the
earth.

Interstellar existing or taking place between the stars.

Molecule the smallest possible amount of a particular substance that
has all the characteristics of that substance.

Interplanetary medium The interplanetary medium is the

material which fills the Solar System, and through which all the larger Solar
System bodies, such as planets, asteroids, and comets, move.

Source someone or something that provides what is wanted or

needed. A person, or book that gives information.

Electromagnetism a magnetic field that is produced by a current

of electricity.

Milky Way the galaxy of which the sun and the solar system are a
part and which contains the stars that make up the Milky Way.

Universe all created things including the earth, planets, galaxies,

and heavenly bodies viewed as making up one system.

Mars dust storms are much different than the dust devils that many people have seen in
images sent back from the planet. On Mars a dust storm can develop in a matter of
hours and envelope the entire planet within a few days. After developing, it can take
weeks for a dust storm on Mars to completely expend itself. Scientists are still trying to
determine why the storms become so large and last so long.
All Mars dust storms are powered by sunshine. Solar heating warms the Martian
atmosphere and causes the air to move, lifting dust off the ground. The chance for
storms is increased when there are great temperature variations like those seen at the
equator during the Martian summer. Because the planets atmosphere is only about 1%
as dense as Earths only the smallest dust grains hang in the air.
Surprisingly, many of the dust storms on the planet originate from one impact basin.
Hellas Basin is the deepest impact crater in the Solar System. It was formed more than
three billion years ago during the Late Bombardment Period when a very large asteroid
hit the surface of Mars. The temperatures at the bottom of the crater can be 10 degrees
warmer than on the surface and the crater is deeply filled with dust. The difference in
temperature fuels wind action that picks up the dust, then storm emerge from the basin.
The dust storms were of great concern when probes were first sent to Mars. Early
probes happened to arrive in orbit during large events. The Viking missions of 1976
easily withstood two big dust storms without being damaged. They were not the first
missions to survive Martian dust storms. In 1971, Mariner 9 arrived at Mars during the
biggest dust storm ever recorded. Mission controllers simply waited a few weeks for the
storm to subside, then carried on with the mission. The biggest issue that rovers face
during a dust storm is the lack of sunlight. Without the light, the rovers have trouble
generating enough power to keep their electronic warm enough to function.
Mars dust storms are of great interest to scientists. Even though several spacecraft
have observed the storms first hand, scientists are no closer to a definitive answer. For
now, the storms on Mars are going to continue to present challenges to planning a
human mission to the planet.