Mars Probes
- Required alignment of the Earth, Mars, and the sun happens with the synodic period of Mars
- definition of synodic period
- synodic period can be derived from the sidereal period of 1.9 y
- result (blackboard) 2.1 y = synodic period
- Two probes launched late ‘96
- Lander (Pathfinder) with Rover (Sojourner)
- Landing site named in honor of Carl Sagan
- Orbiter (Global Surveyor)
- see WWW for latest results
- Next pair launched December ‘98
- Orbiter failed
- got too deep in Mars’ atmosphere and burned up
- human error in navigation
- Lander will land near South polar cap
- study frozen water and carbon dioxide.