[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 0 - 22:18:43 ]
Hello and welcome to another Mars Millennium QuestChat! Our special guest today is Planetary Scientist Mary Urquhart from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Mary was involved in the Mars Polar Lander/Deeps Space 2 probes and does computer modeling. She has a very interesting bio that gives many details about her life and work, so if you haven't already taken a look at it, please do: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/sso/team/urquhart.html

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 2 - 10:11:58 ]
Hi Everyone, I'm here and ready to answer your questions.

[ Peter-Peter/Highschool - 3 - 10:12:54 ]
Welcome! Greetings from Sombor, Yugoslavia.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 4 - 10:13:42 ]
RE: [Peter-Peter/Highschool] Welcome! Greetings from Sombor, Yugoslavia.
Hi Peter-Peter/Highschool.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 7 - 10:15:13 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] st. Joseph school from pinole california is here too. we are a fifth grade class
Welcome Ms. Nixon's class.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 11 - 10:18:17 ]
RE: [Peter-Peter/Highschool] Mrs.Urquhart, perhaps a too futuristic question to begin with, but fo you think that although technology is advancing every day, the need for computer modeling, perhaps even on space missions will rise?
Yes. Better technology makes answering new questions possible. Many computer simulations currently being done were beyond the ability of computers to accomplish in a reasonable time just a few years ago. Also, every question we answer tends to give us new questions to ask.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 16 - 10:22:28 ]
RE: [Buzz-Buzz/Amateurtheoreticalastronomer] Buzz/Amateurtheoreticalastronomer I am curious about what the recent simulation of the formations of the moon can tell us about the likelihood of life elsewhere in our Galaxy. I assume a variant of Drakes equation that includes a factor for the likelihood that an otherwise suitable planet would also have a large satellite like our moon. The inclusion of this factor is based on the plausible possibility that life may not be able to develop on a planet without the tidal effects of a large satellite. In this context, here is my question: Do the simulations provide an estimate of the conditional probability that: given a planet having a distance from its sun in the range in which substantial liquid quantities of surface water would be stable, such a planet would also have a satellite with a tidal force roughly equal to or greater than the solar tidal force.
A large moon may be necessary for a planet's climate to be stable enough for large life forms like us and most animals and plants to exist, but probably not life in general. I suspect many forms of bacteria would live quite nicely without one. I don't know if enough research has been done on the topic yet to properly answer your question about conditional probability.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 19 - 10:25:03 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] Greyson's question when we are in space, does the sun look really bright. can you see lava and stuff like in the pictures?
Yes, the Sun would look very bright in space. It looks bright enough here on Earth, which is why you should never look at it directly! We can see lava flows from space, but they are easier to see on places like Io where they are often bigger and hotter.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 22 - 10:28:28 ]
RE: [Sandy/NASAChatHost] Question from Michelle Mock's class: If a moon broke away from the gravitational pull of a planet and started orbiting the sun only... would it still be considered a moon or a planet?
It depends on the size of the moon. It might be considered an asteroid, which can also be called a minor planet. The size range for what is considered an asteroid and what is considered a planet is somewhat arbitrary. Some people think Pluto is too small to be considered to be a planet!

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 26 - 10:30:29 ]
RE: [Peter-Peter/Highschool] Would computer simulations, combined with the information from the Mars Orbiter help prevent accidents like the Mars Polar Lander?
Possibly. Unfortunately, we don't yet know what went wrong with the Mars Polar Lander.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 28 - 10:32:11 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] We watched Apollo 13 and noticed that human waste was expelled in to space. Is this really how astronauts dispose of waste?
I think so, but that's not really my field.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 34 - 10:34:33 ]
RE: [Sandy/NASAChatHost] Question from Matt: I am 9 and I'm studying Mars in school. Can you please tell me what people would eat on Mars. I have to know what kind of food. I know we can't grill food because of fire. What can we make?
Hi Matt. People could eat many things. It would depend on if they brought their food or grew it on Mars. You could bring many of the things the astronauts already eat. You could also grow and eat things like soy beans and wheat.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 37 - 10:36:17 ]
EVERYONE: Mary is typing as fast as she can in an effort to answer ALL of your questions! We have quite a backlog at the moment, so PLEASE HOLD OFF SENDING ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR 5 MINUTES so that Mary can catch up. Thank you :-)

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 39 - 10:38:01 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] Amanda's question When you are on the moon, can you see the sun like we see it from here?
The Sun would seem brighter, and would be in a black sky. Our atmosphere scatters out light from the Sun, making the daytime sky blue and sunsets red. On the Moon, that light wouldn't be scattered. Also, the Sun would be so bright that your eyes wouldn't be able to see the stars when the Sun was in the sky.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 41 - 10:39:45 ]
RE: [Theresa-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] Hi! Could you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?
Hi, Theresa-Kori. The best thing to do is read my bio. All the information is in there, and it would take too long to type it again here. :-)

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 42 - 10:41:14 ]
RE: [MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist] Hi, Theresa-Kori. The best thing to do is read my bio. All the information is in there, and it would take too long to type it again here. :-)
You can find Mary's very interesting bio at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/sso/team/urquhart.html

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 43 - 10:42:27 ]
RE: [Tricia-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] Is it possible for there to be life on Mars?
Yes, it is certainly possible for life to be on Mars, although it would be simple life like bacteria here on Earth. Many scientists think Mars probably did have life in its distant past, and that life might even still be around. However, if something is still living on Mars, it is probably deep underground where it would be hard to find.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 44 - 10:43:33 ]
RE: [Ben-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] Whatever happened to the Mars Rover?
Do you mean the Mars Pathfinder rover? It's still on Mars, not very far at all from where it landed. We just can't talk to it anymore.

[ Ben-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool - 46 - 10:46:16 ]
Thanks so much for clarifing on the Mars Pathfinder. =)

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 48 - 10:47:14 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] chris' question If earth is bigger than mars, why does earth only have one moon and mars has 2?
A very good question. Mars has two very tiny moons, compared with our one very large moon. Mars got its moons in a very different way than we got ours. The moons of Mars are probably captured asteroids. Most planetary scientists believe we got our moon when a planet bigger than Mars hit the still-forming Earth 4.6 billion years ago, and the Moon formed out of a ring of debris created by the giant impact.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 51 - 10:48:13 ]
EVERYONE: There are about 15 minutes left in today's chat with Mary. Be sure to let us know how we're doing with our chats by filling out the short chat survey after Mary's chat today. You can find it at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys Thank you!

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 52 - 10:49:22 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] caitlin' question how come the moon does not have an atmosphere?
The Moon is just too small to hold onto an atmosphere. The gravity at the surface of the Moon is enough to keep objects and astronauts on the surface, but air molecules can escape fairly easily from its weaker gravity.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 56 - 10:53:40 ]
EVERYONE: PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANYMORE QUESTIONS. Mary will only answer those that remain in the chat room now. Thank you!

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 57 - 10:53:40 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] Karlonda's question On saturn, do you fall througn the rings if you could stand on them? Are the gas planets really just gas that have no surface?
Hi Karlonda. Yes, you couldn't stand on the rings of Saturn because they aren't solid. They are made of individual pieces of ice and rock. Most are dust sized particles, and some are as big as houses. I suppose you *could* stand on some of those pieces if you really wanted to. :-)

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 58 - 10:55:13 ]
RE: [Renata-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] What is the corralation between the Mars probe and breast cancer?
I'm sorry, but I really don't know. I'm a planetary scientist, so that is a bit out of my field. I don't think I've seen any information on that topic.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 59 - 10:55:47 ]
EVERYONE: While Mary is busy typing away I have 3 reminders for you: (1) Please fill out the short chat survey at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys, (2) an archive of Mary's chat will be available later today and (3) sign up for next week's chat with Astronomer Sten Odenwald.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 60 - 10:56:02 ]
RE: [DanielAmberMickelleHydesvilleCa-Mrs.Dexter/HydesvilleSchool] How much fuel does a shuttle use in 1 mission?
Once again, not a question I can answer, I'm afraid.

[ Renata-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool - 62 - 10:56:51 ]
Oh. . . info on it was in the SanJose Mercury News on January 18,2000. Thanks for trying. =)

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 64 - 10:57:53 ]
RE: [WadeatHydesvilleCA-Mrs.Dexter/HydesvilleSchool] How long does it take a shuttle to circle the Earth?
Mary is a planetary scientist and does not work with the shuttle program.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 65 - 10:58:34 ]
RE: [Alexandra/Micheal/Alicia-Mrs.Dexter/HydesvilleSchool] Do you think Mars has a larger gravitational pull than earth because it has two moons and earth only has one?
Mars has a *smaller* gravitational pull than the Earth becuase it has less mass than the Earth (its made of less stuff). Each moon has its own gravitation pull, but the moons of Mars are tiny and have much less mass than our moon, so they have less gravitational pull than our single moon.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 66 - 11:01:26 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] Will's question when something gets sucked into a black hole, where does it go?
Hi Will. What ever is pulled into a black hole becomes part of the black hole. It doesn't disappear from the Universe (even though we can't see anything inside a black hole because not even light can escape). It makes the black hole more massive.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 69 - 11:05:03 ]
RE: [Renata-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] What sort of things would I want to look into for being a space shuttle pilot after college? Have you ever met Eileen Collins?
I haven't met Eileen Collins. I do know several people being interviewed for the next astronaut class, however. Some people go into the astronaut program through the air force, and some are engineers or scientists. The people I know all have PhDs and work in planetary science. Some of them also fly planes.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 70 - 11:06:49 ]
EVERYONE: Today's chat with Mary Urquhart is now over. Mary will stay on for 5 more minutes to answer the questions that we missed earlier in the chat. THANK YOU very much for your excellent questions! It was obvious that some of you really did your homework before coming to this chat! We hope you can come back again next week to chat with Astronomer Sten!

[ Peter-Peter/Highschool - 72 - 11:08:21 ]
Thank you for your time. I wish you all the best.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 73 - 11:09:19 ]
RE: [Renata-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] Thanks! I hope I can do that (Air Force, or something that'll direct me to space shuttle piloting). My dad's in the Air Force. . . maybe I'll ask him for tips(he got to meet Eileen. . .I almost did) BYE!
Bye Renata! Good luck with your plans for becoming an astronaut! You might want to check out Quest's "Women of NASA" web site and our "Shuttle Team Online" site as there are several bios of female astronauts and webchats!

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 74 - 11:09:42 ]
RE: [Renata-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] Will our earth ever get sucked into a black hole?
Very unlikely. For one thing, a black hole doesn't have any more gravity than an ordinary star. The gravity is just very intense near the black hole because all the matter it is made of has been squeezed into a very very tiny space. How strong the gravity of something is to you depends on how far away you are from it. The gravity at the surface of a star is much less than the gravity very close to a black hole, because you can get so close to it. You'd be very deep inside a star before you could get that close to its center. Even then, the matter would be all around you instead of concentrated like it is in a black hole. Also, our own Sun is too small to ever turn into one when it dies.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 76 - 11:10:20 ]
RE: [Peter-Peter/Highschool] Thank you fro your time. I wish you all the best.
Peter, thank you for joining us all the way from Yugoslavia! We're most happy that you came to our chat :-) Please join us again soon!

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 77 - 11:10:43 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] Justin L's question? Can the volcano olympus Mons erupt on Mars?
It might be possible that Olympus Mons could erupt again, but most planetary scientists don't think it will.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 78 - 11:11:21 ]
RE: [RenataTheresaandTricia-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] Thanks so much. . . we're leaving knowing more about Mars than we came here knowing! Thanks a bunch! GOOOOOOOOO Southbay! (we're cheerleaders, and extremely proud of it, too!)
Now that's what we on Quest LOVE to hear! I know that your comment will make Mary's day also :-) Way to go Southbay!

[ RTT-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool - 79 - 11:12:02 ]
Thanks-

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 81 - 11:14:27 ]
RE: [DeOrinErikhollyandshelly-Mrs.Dexter/HydesvilleSchool] Is there any proof of water in Mars Channels? DeOrin wonders Shelley wants to know if scientists are a new type of robot to research Mars/
There is no direct proof of water in the channels on Mars, because the channels are all dry now. We do know that they were carved by a liquid, and look very much like water carved channels here on Earth. Water is *by far* the most likely candidate. On the Earth, no other natural liquid could have carved those types of channels, and it is almost unimaginable that something else could have carved them on Mars.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 82 - 11:17:12 ]
RE: [Renata-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] When will a copy of this chat be available?
Sometime later today: just as soon as I get a chance to archive it.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 83 - 11:17:50 ]
RE: [Sandy/NASAChatHost] Question from Michelle Mock's class: Who discovered Mars and what year was it discovered?
Mars was discovered in ancient times (probably even pre-historic times). It was named Mars after the Roman god of war.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 84 - 11:21:54 ]
RE: [Sandy/NASAChatHost] Question from Michelle Mock's class: Is there a 10th planet?
There probably isn't a 10th planet, although there may be thousands of objects like Pluto, but much smaller. These objects make up the Kuiper Belt, which is one of the places comets come from.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 85 - 11:29:54 ]
RE: [Michael-MaryMatthes/RehobothElementary] Since Earth and possibly other planets have gone through climatic changes, what is predicted as the next probable climatic change for Mars?
Climate changes are hard to predict, even here on the Earth. We know a lot more about the Earth than we do about Mars. That said, computer models predict that Mars should wobble much more on its axis than the Earth does. Right now, Mars has a tilt similar to the Earth's tilt, and so has similar seasons. (The seasons on Mars last about twice as long because Mars takes about twice as long to orbit the Sun). If the tilt becomes greater, more of the planet will be in the equivalent of Earth's arctic and antarctic circles, and the climate will be harsher. More of the atmosphere will also freeze out on the poles. It also has a more elliptical orbit than the Earth, and that will affect things too.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 86 - 11:32:49 ]
RE: [Brittany-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] What color is Mars, really, not just what we percaive it to be?
Mars is a reddish brown color, which is actually very close to how it looks in images and telescopes. It gets that color from the iron in the volcanic rocks (like basalt), which has rusted. Colors do vary on Mars, too. Some parts are darker than others.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 87 - 11:38:30 ]
RE: [MsNixonsClass-Ms.Nixon/St.Joseph] sara's question how did the planet's come to be?
A very tough question to give a short answer to. :-) The planets were born, along with our Sun, in an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. The Orion Nebula is a place where stars, and probably planets, are being born today. The planets formed when bits of dust, and ice for the outer planets, stuck together. Eventually these bits became as big as asteroids, and then finally as big as the planets. The outer gas giant planets started off with solid core many times bigger than the Earth, and then their gravity attracted lots of gas from the cloud and held on to it, making the giant planets we know today.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 88 - 11:40:56 ]
RE: [Peter-Peter/Highschool] Was it ever your wish to become an astronaut? If not, why not?
I did want to become an astronaut, and still do. Alas, my eyesight isn't good enough without my glasses or contacts for me to even apply.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 89 - 11:44:24 ]
RE: [Renata-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] Is there any water and/or oxygen on Mars?
There is water on Mars, in the atmosphere and frozen as ice in the polar caps. We planetary scientists also think that Mars has water in the form of ice in the ground, like ground ice called permafrost in Alaska, or Siberia, or near the peaks of high mountains. Some planetary scientists think there could even be liquid water deep underground below the ice. Mars has oxygen too, but it's in other substances and not in oxygen gas like we breath here on the Earth.

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 90 - 11:46:40 ]
RE: [Ben-Kori/SouthbayChristianSchool] Thanks so much for clarifing on the Mars Pathfinder. =)
You are very welcome. I'm glad to help. :-)

[ MaryUrquhart/PlanetaryScientist - 91 - 11:48:30 ]
Ok. I think I've answered just about everyone's questions. Thank you so much for attending. I really enjoyed chatting with you!