#triviatuesday - How did Mars get its name?
It’s TriviaTuesday!
Recently the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invited each Earthling to submit his/her name to be carried to Mars onboard its “Mars 2020 Rover...”! The mission’s ultimate goal is “human exploration” of the planet...” *
Fittingly, here’s today’s trivia question:
“How did Mars get its name?”
Answer :
The name, “Mars,” was bestowed by ancient Roman astronomers who gave the planets names that “matched a similar god or goddess...Mars, the color of blood, reflects the god of war...” (1)
The Romans were right. Mars really is red.
“Much of the surface of Mars consists of dusty red deserts literally scattered with rocks of all sizes, thrown out by meteorite impacts. The rusty redness of the soil is due to iron oxide. Mars may be the richest source of iron ore in the Solar System. Even the sky is pink, a result of fine particles of dust suspended in the wispy atmosphere...” (2)
Sources:
*“NASA invites public to submit names to fly aboard next Mars Rover”
https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8440/nasa-invites-public-to-submit-names-to-fly-aboard-next-mars-rover/
(1) “Weird But True : Greek Mythology” by Sarah Wassner Flynn. Published by National Geographic. Available for check-out at MidPointe Library.
(2) “Stars & Planets – The Complete Guide to the Stars, Constellations and the Solar System” by Ian Ridpath & Wil Tirion, published by Princeton University Press. Available for checkout at MidPointe Library.
Images:
The image of the Planet Mars above and on our Facebook page is courtesy of NASA:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=5992
The image of the “Mars - God of War” bookcover can be found on Hoopla via the MidPointe Library website:
www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary > eBooks > Hoopla