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Mars in a Minute: Why Is Curiosity Looking for Organics?

59 seconds

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Organics are carbon-based molecules and key ingredients to life. Scientists want to know if organics can be found on Mars. However, finding organics is difficult because they easily break down when exposed to harsh things like extreme radiation and chemical oxidants. These broken down particles give the Martian surface its rusty color. Part of the “Mars in a Minute” series.

Media Details

Runtime: 59 seconds

Topic: Science
Subtopic: Astronomy, Chemistry, Space Sciences
Grade/Interest Level: 7 - 12
Standards:

Release Year: 2012
Producer/Distributor: NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
Series: Mars in a Minute
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Illustration of people in ancient Egyptian dress pointing over pyramids into the night sky. Caption: Even the ancient Egyptians called Mars "The Red One."

How do you land on Mars? Caption: Very carefully.

Illustration of the Sun, Earth, and Mars. Caption: the planets are in perfect positions to get to Mars

Diagram of the atmosphere above a planet's surface. A ship passes through the atmosphere at 13,000 mph and deposits a rover at 0 mph. Caption: we have to slow down from 13,000 miles an hour to zero.

Illustration of a split screen showing a robot with wheels on the surface of a red planet and people at a computer. Caption: engineers send computer commands overnight,

Illustration concentric circles with the Sun in the center and then Earth and Mars. Caption: In orbit, Mars is about 50 million miles farther away

Illustration of a robot with wheels on the surface of a reddish-brown planet. Caption: If Curiosity finds organics, it wouldn't prove life existed,

Illustration concentric circles with the Sun in the center and then Earth and Mars. Caption: Earth and Mars wind up on opposite sides of the sun.