Terrestrial
Physical Data
Terrestrial
Physical Data
| Average Distance from the Sun | 2.279 x 108 km = 1.524 AU |
| Aphelion | 2.492 x 108 km |
| Perihelion | 2.067 x 108 km |
| Orbital Velocity (ave.) | 24.1 km/s |
| Sidereal Period | 1.88 Earth years |
| Rotation Period | 24h 37m 22s |
| Tilt of Rotation Axis | 1.83 degrees |
| Equatorial Diameter | 6,786 km |
| Mass | 6.42 x 1023 kg |
| Density (ave.) | 3950 kg/m3 |
| Escape Velocity | 5.0 km/s |
| Surface Temperature (ave.) | Max: 20o C = 70oF = 293K
Min: -140oC = -220oF = 133K |
-Definition: Astronomical Unit (AU) - the average
distance between the Earth and the Sun.
-Definition: Perihelion - the minimum distance
from the Sun.
-Definition: Aphelion - the maximum distance
from the Sun.
-Definition: Sidereal Period - the actual time
it takes for Mars to orbit the Sun, with respect to the background stars
and not the position of the Sun.
Reference: Kaufmann, William J. Universe. Fourth Edition. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York. 1994.