The Average Temperature on Mars

Mars is characterized by extreme cold.

Mars is, by our standards, a freezing planet. The average surface temperature is minus 20 to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, while average high altitude temperatures are below minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit. According to NASA, Mars' elliptical orbit causes temperature to vary wildly according to location, season and time of day.

History

Three and a half billion years ago, Mars was, like Earth, a warm planet with a watery surface. Because of the formation of carbonate rocks, Mars' atmosphere has become thin and cold. The planet's water is either frozen or underground.

Geography

Mars is characterized by profound temperature variations. Around the equator during summer months, the temperature can reach up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The poles, however, experience lows of minus 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures are much lower at higher altitudes than at surface level.

Features

While humidity reaches 100 percent overnight, the air on Mars remains dry during the day. According to NASA Quest, this is due to the great difference between nighttime and daytime temperatures.

Effects

Clearly, Mars' freezing atmosphere would be damaging to life forms like humans. It might also potentially damage the electronic and mechanical parts of scientific equipment sent to record information about the planet.

References

• NASA: Mars
• NASA Quest: Mars Facts