Mars question, penny for your thoughts? (see below)?

Question

Do you think, that as the Sun ages, gets hotter and expands as we all know it will do, do you think that the amount of excess heat generated by that will melt the much, if not all the polar icecaps as well as the frozen ice below Mars's surface for Mars for a time at least, to become very Earth-like?

Answer 1

This will not occur for a very very very long time however it is very possible. Our future generations will probably either begin evolving to endure greater temperatures (unlikely as man is nearly immune to physical evolution at this point), move to Mars which will probably have been populated for a great while by that point, or develop a humongous thermal shield to protect the Earth (which I kind of think is likely).

Answer 2

It's doubtful from what we know Mars will become EArthlike.

Most theorists say the martian gravity is too small to hold an Earth type atmosphere.

Now, it is THEORETICALLY possible Uranus could evolve into an Earthlike object if the Sun goes Nova

Can you imagine WHEN the Sun goes Nova and expands and heats up Uranus and after billions of years of being heated the atomosphere is condusive to some kind of life and it happens and they grow and NEVER know about the EARTH, because the EARTH gets consumed by the SUN or the EARTH becomes like Venus and evening star, dead and barren.

And they teach their kids the Earth is a dead and barron planet and never could possible hold life!

Answer 3

Unfortunately, no. The expansion mentioned is part of a star's death-throws and when it starts to expand, even if it doesn't go supernova, the heat will quickly pass that small margin where it will melt ice and still be cool enough to support life. The other problem with Mars is that it's gravity is lower and any escaping gases that might form an atmosphere would quickly be blown away by solar winds and low gravity. No gases, water too hot, no life.

Answer 4

Most of the polar caps of Mars come from water seeping up from underground and would only last maybe a few years. On the other hand, Uropia, one of Jupiter's moons could provide liquid water and probably enough heat would be created by the aging Sun, that could provide for human colonies.

Answer 5

NASA has recently come to the conclusion that at one point ( 2 million years or so ago) Mars' surface was at least 1/3 covered in oceans and seas. The chances of Man re-making it into an 'Earth-like' planet are slim but growing.

Answer 6

If the expansion is rapid it won't matter. If it is just cyclical, this may happen. It is possible that the existing conditions are a result of a cooling sun and depending whether it cools more, Earth could become another Mars while Venus becomes Earth. Will we be ready to jump either way or are we going to snuff it?

Answer 7

When our sun evolves into its red giant stage its heat output will actually *decrease* The typical surface temperature of a red giant star (..classification 'K' to 'M'..) ranges between about 5,000 down to 3,500 degrees. These temperatures are far, far below that needed to melt the ice on Mars at its orbital distance. For a red giant star, the optimum habitable zone would be about 0.1 AU. Mars is far outside that zone. (..http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/H/habzone.html..)

Answer 8

There is always the possiblity that the planet mars may be of use to people in the very close future. After all Al Gore did state to this effect that "there is water an if there is water there is oxigen on Mars.,so we can breathe."

Answer 9

It'll melt the ice at the poles and under the surface, but I doubt Mars will become 'Earthlike'. There just isn't enough oxygen there, and the gravity isn't strong enough to hold an atmosphere in place even if one were to be created.

Doug

Answer 10

it is an interestin idea, although pretty far fetched... I mean it is always possible... and even though it may be warmer, there and the water will rise, as the sun keeps expanding would the water just get so hot and evaporate, and it can't have a very stable water cycle cuz there isn't much there anyways...