Final answer:
A Martian day, or sol, is approximately 24 hours and 37 minutes long, calculated by dividing 2π radians by the rotation rate of Mars, which is 0.2552 radians per hour. This length is just slightly longer than an Earth day. Mars experiences similar seasons to Earth due to its 25° axial tilt but each season lasts about six Earth months because of the longer Martian year.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rotation rate of Mars is given as 0.2552 radians per hour. To determine the length of a Martian day, also called a sol, we need to know how many radians Mars rotates through in one complete rotation. A complete circle in radians is 2π radians, which is approximately 6.2832 radians. With this information, we can calculate the length of a Martian day by dividing the total radians in a circle by the rotation rate of Mars per hour.
To perform this calculation:
- Divide 2π by 0.2552 to get the number of hours per Martian day.
- 2π radians / 0.2552 radians per hour ≈ 24.622 hours per Martian day.
In terms of Earth time, a Martian day is approximately 24 hours and 37 minutes long, which is slightly longer than an Earth day.
Considering Martian days and the Martian year, we can further understand the Martian calendar. Because Mars has a longer orbital period around the Sun, a Martian year consists of 668.6 sols. Furthermore, the rotational tilt of Mars is about 25°, similar to Earth's, allowing Mars to experience similar seasons, albeit for a longer duration because of the longer Martian year.