Water still flowing on Mars!

[Lul Thyme]

Mars is on average about 1.5 AU from the Sun.
Since we are talking about relatively small angle, it's almost linear (too lazy to do trigo.) and so the radial diameter of the Sun would be about 2/3 of here, hardly comparable to others stars...

[Gatekeeper]

Plus, I think the equatorial region of Mars is warmer than Antarctica. Seems like I read it got into the 30s and 40s above zero at the equator ... I'll have to do some digging, 'cause now my personal curiosity has been piqued.

Gatekeeper

[Sandman]

The extremely low atmospheric pressure means that there's only a tiny 'window' for water to remain liquid on Mars, IIRC.

[Ned]

The new evidence of water on Mars might also indicate that there still might be life on Mars. If there is, there might also be bugs and viruses that will kill any human landing there and perhaps the whole population of the world should such a virus be returned to Earth.

I think I just saw a movie where this happened to the Martians when they invaded Earth.

But seriously, we really need to accelerate our manned effort to reach, explore and colonize Mars.

[Gatekeeper]

We need to expand beyond the Solar System so we're not wiped out by a system-wide disaster. Then we need to expand beyond the galaxy so a galactic disaster doesn't wipe us out. Then we need to expand beyond the local galactic cluster, so a cluster-wide disaster doesn't wipe us out. Then we need to expand beyond ... well, you get the idea.

Gatekeeper

[Ned]

Gatekeeper, sounds like a plan.

[Winston]

And don't forget exploring behind the fridge, have to get around to that one of these days. The final frontier.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
Plus, I think the equatorial region of Mars is warmer than Antarctica. Seems like I read it got into the 30s and 40s above zero at the equator ... I'll have to do some digging, 'cause now my personal curiosity has been piqued.

Gatekeeper

It's a pretty pleasant weather in daylight summer there. It can reach 20C, just like a Swedish summer

[Lancer]

What's the optimum population for Mars?

[Proteus_MST]

Depends on how much you can expand the vast underground bases the martians have left and use them for your own purposes (or build your own ones if you don´t find martian underground bases ) and how much greenhouses you can get operational on the surface (at least until you manage to terraform mars in a few centuries from now on)

[Lancer]

WRONG! You allow the population to expand until people are starving and disease is wiping everyone out. To try to avoid this fate is EVIL!