This is planetary radio.

This is planetary radio. And you thought Mars was getting farther away. In some ways, it's never been closer.

Hi everyone, Matt Kaplan back with another Martian Odyssey.

Stay with us for a great conversation with Steve Squires,

the principal investigator for the science instruments on both Mars Exploration Rovers.

Later on you can join Bruce Betts and me at the Planetary Society's holiday party.

First up is Emily.

This week she's watching Martian and other skies for shooting stars.

Hi, I'm Emily Lockdawala with questions and answers.

A listener asked, is the Martian atmosphere sufficiently dense to burn up in falling material, would a person be able to see shooting stars from the surface of Mars?

On Earth, in-falling meteorites start to incandess or burn up at altitudes of about 70 kilometers or 40 miles. At this altitude, the atmospheric

pressure is a tenth of a millibar or about one ten thousandth of the pressure at the surface

of the earth. The same pressure exists at an

altitude of about 40 kilometers or about 25 miles on Mars. Hence, these common

meteors would certainly appear as shooting stars to an observer viewing the night sky from the Martian

surface unless a Martian dust storm was taking place at the time.

What about other places in the solar system?

Stay tuned to planetary radio to find out.

Dr. Stephen Squires of Cornell University has been waiting a very long time for

this season. His present will come a touch late for Christmas, but at least the arrival of the first Mars Exploration Rover on the first weekend

of 2004 will give him a bit of time to enjoy the holidays with his family.

He also has just a few more days to squeeze in a few more mundane, but essential

...