So, Spirit is rolling around on Mars. It’s another great time for Mars exploration enthusiasts, even ones as cold as I am here in New England. We were out riding around last night in our own planetary exploration vehicle, running errands and meeting friends for dinner, and for the Nth time, we realized that this little cold spell we’re having right now (temps down below zero F (-17 C)) and freezing winds would constitute a balmy day on Mars! How so? Well, the average temperature on Mars hovers around -81 F (-62 C). The past few days, we’ve seen temperatures in New England go as low as -50F including the wind chill (or about -45 C). So, on Mars, this would be like an warm winter or early spring day maybe…

Of course, Mars doesn’t have anywhere near the humidity we have on Earth, even on cold, winter days, or in our driest deserts. Mars is as dry as a bone, with most of the water probably socked underground as ice, or a mud-ice mixture called permafrost. And, the atmospheric pressure is quite a bit different on Mars. But as we in New England (and many other cold places on Earth) shiver during these cold times, we can sympathize with future Mars explorers who will have to contend with chilly temperatures all their lives as they learn what there is to know about another world.