Hey there! Today, we’re going to talk about something super exciting: the Perseverance Rover on Mars! Squeaks and I just watched the video of its landing again because it’s so amazing to see!
The Perseverance Rover is a robot that recently landed on Mars. It’s packed with cool science tools like cameras, lasers, and computers. It even has a tiny helicopter that can fly over the planet’s surface! NASA, which is the space agency from the United States, launched Perseverance. But they’re not the only ones interested in Mars. The United Arab Emirates has a satellite called “Hope” orbiting Mars, and the European Space Agency is planning to send a rover there too. People all over the world are curious about Mars!
One big reason scientists study Mars is because of its ancient ocean. It’s surprising because Mars looks red and dusty, while Earth’s oceans are blue. When we look at Mars, we see white patches, which are actually frozen water, just like the ice at Earth’s North and South Poles.
Scientists think Mars had an ocean billions of years ago. We know water can change the shape of land. On Earth, rivers like the Colorado River have carved out places like the Grand Canyon. We see similar shapes on Mars, which suggests there were once rivers there too.
At the end of these river-like paths, we find piles of sand and rock, called deltas. On Earth, rivers like the Amazon River have deltas, so when we see them on Mars, it’s a clue that there used to be rivers. Perseverance landed in a spot that might have been a river delta on Mars!
Scientists want to learn more about Mars’ ocean and why it disappeared. They’re also curious if anything could have lived in that water. We don’t know the answers yet, but exploring Mars is a lot of fun and full of discoveries!
If you want to keep learning and having fun with us, make sure to check out more videos about Perseverance. Thanks for joining us, and see you next time on SciShow Kids!
Build Your Own Rover: Gather some simple materials like cardboard, bottle caps, straws, and glue. Create your own model of the Perseverance Rover. Think about what tools you would include on your rover if you were sending it to Mars. Would you add a camera, a scoop, or maybe a tiny helicopter like Perseverance? Share your rover design with your family and explain why you chose those tools.
Water Detective: Go on a water detective mission in your backyard or local park. Look for signs of water, like puddles, streams, or wet soil. Notice how water changes the shape of the land around it. Can you find any small deltas or channels? Draw a picture of what you find and compare it to the pictures of Mars’ surface you saw in the video.
Imagine Life on Mars: Think about what it would be like if there were living things on Mars. What kind of creatures might live there? Draw a picture of a Martian creature and write a short story about its life. How does it find food and water? What does its home look like? Share your story with a friend or family member.
