Astronomy: Pluto
Across
- 3. Evidence suggests ancient Mars once had abundant liquid water on its surface a key focus for current missions.
- 4. A massive shield volcano on Mars the largest volcano and tallest planetary mountain in the Solar System.
- 11. The Greek god of war equivalent to the Roman god Mars from whom the planet gets its name.
- 12. IceCaps Regions at Mars's poles composed of both water ice and frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice).
- 13. A NASA rover that explored Mars from 2004 to 2018 finding compelling evidence of past water activity.
- 14. The hypothetical process of modifying a planet's atmosphere and surface to make it habitable for humans.
- 15. The common nickname for Mars derived from the iron oxides (rust) in its soil.
- 18. The geological study of Mars analogous to geology on Earth.
- 19. The first extraterrestrial helicopter deployed by the Perseverance rover proving powered flight on Mars.
- 20. Impact craters on Mars are often very well preserved due to the lack of extensive erosion.
Down
- 1. A NASA rover launched in 2011 which explored Gale Crater and found evidence of ancient habitable environments.
- 2. A NASA rover launched in 2020 currently exploring Mars's Jezero Crater for signs of ancient life.
- 5. The fourth planet from the Sun known as the "Red Planet" due to its iron oxide-rich surface.
- 6. Primarily composed of carbon dioxide with trace amounts of other gases much thinner than Earth's.
- 7. A large ancient impact basin on Mars one of the largest in the Solar System.
- 8. An extensive canyon system on Mars one of the largest in the Solar System much larger than Earth's Grand Canyon.
- 9. The smaller and outermost of Mars's two moons also thought to be a captured asteroid.
- 10. A NASA rover that explored Mars from 2004 to 2010 studying diverse rocks and geological features.
- 16. Frequent and sometimes planet-encompassing atmospheric events on Mars driven by strong winds.
- 17. One of Mars's two small irregularly shaped moons believed to be a captured asteroid.