Earth vs Mars
Once in a while, people would wonder why life exists on Earth but not on other planets. Our planet, the third farthest from the sun in our solar system, is often compared to Mars. It’s our closest neighbor, and popular culture has stirred the notion that aliens, or extra-terrestrial beings, once lived on Mars. In fact, this sensational idea has some factual basis, especially in light of new scientific data which points out that water once existed abundantly on Mars. Water is a necessary ingredient in the creation of cellular species. The earliest form of life on our planet are plankton, which up to the present serves as food and sustenance for aquatic animals. Since water existed on Mars a long time ago, then there’s a high probability that cellular organisms also thrived in that planet. So far, however, no fossils have been found, and Mars remains just another planet in the solar system incapable of supporting life.
Comparing our planet with Mars would result in several similarities and differences. Some people do not know how to differentiate Earth with Mars, thus they get lost whenever the two planets are being compared. The first similarity deals with the structure of the two planets. Earth and Mars are made up of metal and rock, thus they are categorized as terrestrial planets. In terms of layers, both planets have a core of metal which is wrapped by a thicker mantle of solid rock. Above the mantle rests the crust. The second similarity deals with the presence of water. Earth has water in abundance, with oceans making up more than seventy percent of the crust. Mars’ water supply, on the other hand, is completely frozen at its poles. Even though there is a huge discrepancy between the two planets in terms of water content, both of them are capable of supporting water.
The differences between the two planets greatly outweigh their similarities. The first major difference is on plate tectonics. Earth has a shifting crust which continually changes the land forms, and replenishes the landscape. Mars, on the other hand, has a surface which never changes, and ancient meteorite scars from millions of years ago can still be seen today.
The second major difference deals with the discrepancy in planet size. Mars is much smaller than earth, measuring more or less six thousand eight hundred kilometers in diameter. Mars has only half of the Earth’s diameter, and approximately ten percent of the Earth’s mass. Mars’ small size means that it has only one-third of the Earth’s gravity. If people were able to jump on the surface of Mars, they would find out that their jumps are three times higher than their jumps on Earth.
The third, and greatest difference between the two planets is on sentient life. Life has yet to be found on Mars, while on Earth, almost every nook and cranny is filled with cellular life, from single-cellular bacteria to multi-cellular plants and animals.
Summary
1. Earth, the third planet in the solar system, has often been compared with Mars.
2. Earth and Mars are made up of metal and rock, thus they are categorized as terrestrial planets.
3. The first similarity is in terms of planetary structure. Both planets have a core of metal which is wrapped by a thicker mantle of solid rock. Above the mantle rests the crust.
4. The second similarity deals with the presence of water. Earth has water in abundance, with oceans making up more than seventy percent of the crust. Mars’ water supply, on the other hand, is completely frozen at its poles.
5. The first major difference between the two planets is on plate tectonics. Earth has a shifting crust which continually changes the land forms, and replenishes the landscape.
6. The second major difference deals with the discrepancy in planet size. Mars is much smaller than earth, measuring more or less six thousand eight hundred kilometers in diameter.
7. The third, and greatest difference between the two planets is on sentient life. Sentient life has yet to be found on Mars.