Curiosity rover lands on Mars!

How exciting that finally the rover sent to Mars, called Curiosity, has landed and we will be able to learn more about that strange red planet.  Did you know that Mars was named after the Roman god of war as the planet is red like blood. The red rusty colour is caused by iron minerals that make up the dust and rocks on its surface called the ‘regolith’. Earth’s regolith (soil, dirt) is made up of organic matter like dead plants, insects and animals etc. Another interesting fact about Mars is that it has the highest mountain and the lowest valley of any planet in the solar system? The mountain is called Olympus Mons and is about 27km high or 3x the height of Mt Everest.

This is a great video that runs for 6 minutes and shows the journey Curiosity made to Mars using video footage and animation. It also shows us how Curiosity will be able to take samples of the rocks and dirt and examine them for “the ingredients of life.”

‘Curiosity’ – Mission to Mars from The Film Artist

FAST FACTS
Mission name: Mars Science Laboratory
Rover name: Curiosity rover
Size: About the size of a car — 10 feet long (not including the arm), 9 feet wide and 7 feet tall!
Weight: 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds)
Features: Geology lab, rocker-bogie suspension, rock-vaporizing laser and lots of cameras
Mission: To search areas of Mars for past or present conditions favorable for life, and conditions capable of preserving a record of life
Launch: Between Nov. 25–Dec. 18, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Arrival: August 2012 at Mars
Length of mission on Mars: The prime mission will last one Mars year or about 23 Earth months.

Fantastic resource for educators and students: Mars Science Laboratory

Watch Curiosity land with this great animation: How do I land on Mars? 

Mrs Booth