The mixture of gas that composes the rose-colored Martian atmosphere is composed of no less than 95% carbon dioxide, 2.3% nitrogen, 1%-2% argon and only 0.5% oxygen: the ideal environment for terrestrial plants but absolutely unbreathable for animals from our planet! On the other hand, the humidity and temperature levels are very low and, therefore, not very appropriate for plants or animals. In fact, the air on Mars is so dry, that if all the water vapor in the air were transformed into water, it would cover the planet with a thin layer of water only a few hundredths of a millimeter thick. Here, clouds are relatively rare. However, some formations have been photographed during the transition period between spring and summer, in an area where the largest volcanoes are located. Frequently, clouds or, more appropriately, mist, especially in the early morning, cover the slopes of Mount Olympus like a milky sea, leaving the summit uncovered. The temperatures, that are periodically measured at the landing site of the two Viking probes, vary between -85 degrees Celsius in the morning to -29 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon. These temperatures are taken at the Corcse plain 22 degrees north of the equator and, therefore, are higher than the temperatures in the region of Utopia, which is located at a latitude of 45 degrees.
The mixture of gas that composes the rose-colored Martian atmosphere is composed of no less than 95% carbon dioxide, 2.3% nitrogen, 1%-2% argon and only 0.5% oxygen: the ideal environment for terrestrial plants but absolutely unbreathable for animals from our planet! On the other hand, the humidity and temperature levels are very low and, therefore, not very appropriate for plants or animals. In fact, the air on Mars is so dry, that if all the water vapor in the air were transformed into water, it would cover the planet with a thin layer of water only a few hundredths of a millimeter thick. Here, clouds are relatively rare. However, some formations have been photographed during the transition period between spring and summer, in an area where the largest volcanoes are located. Frequently, clouds or, more appropriately, mist, especially in the early morning, cover the slopes of Mount Olympus like a milky sea, leaving the summit uncovered. The temperatures, that are periodically measured at the landing site of the two Viking probes, vary between -85 degrees Celsius in the morning to -29 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon. These temperatures are taken at the Corcse plain 22 degrees north of the equator and, therefore, are higher than the temperatures in the region of Utopia, which is located at a latitude of 45 degrees.
