Mars sol

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mars-sol

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the martian solar day duration?Approximately 24 hours, 39 minutes, 35.244 seconds
2. What is the martian year duration in sols?Approximately 668.6 sols
3. What is a sol on Mars?A sol is the Martian day, the time it takes for the Sun to return to the same spot on Mars. It lasts about 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds, a little longer than an Earth day.
4. Why is a sol longer than an Earth day?Mars spins a bit slower and also moves around the Sun while it turns. This makes each Martian day a little longer than 24 hours.

Sidereal Rotation Period: The time it takes a planet to rotate once on its axis relative to distant stars.
Diurnal Cycle: The daily cycle of day and night caused by a planet's rotation.
Temporal Framework: A system or structure for organizing and measuring time.