Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago, is a terrestrial planet and is the second smallest of the Solar System's planets with a diameter of 6,779 km (4,212 mi). A Martian solar day (sol) is 24.5 hours and a Martian solar year is 1.88 Earth years (687 Earth days). Mars has two small and irregular natural satellites: Phobos and Deimos. Carbon dioxide is substantially present in Mars's polar ice caps and thin atmosphere. It has the highest mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons, and the largest canyon, Valles Marineris. There are large annual temperature swings on the surface, between −78.5 °C (−109.3 °F) and 5.7 °C (42.3 °F) – similar to Earth's seasons. Due to its geological history, the possibility of past or present life on Mars remains of great scientific interest. Mars has been explored by uncrewed spacecraft and rovers, and is an attractive target for future human exploration missions. (This article is part of a featured topic: Solar System.).
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/Solar_System
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1857:
Mindon Min was crowned as King of Burma. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_of_Mindon_Min
1863:
American Civil War: Union troops captured Jackson, the capital of Mississippi. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jackson
1931:
Five people were killed in Ådalen, Sweden, as soldiers opened fire on an unarmed trade union demonstration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%85dalen_shootings
1948:
David Ben-Gurion publicly read the Israeli Declaration of Independence at Independence Hall in Tel Aviv. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Declaration_of_Independence
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
impose: 1. (transitive) 2. (archaic) To physically lay or place (something) on another thing; to deposit, to put, to set. 3. (Christianity) To lay or place (one's hands) on someone as a blessing, during rites of confirmation, ordination, etc. 4. (printing) To lay (columns or pages of type, or printing plates) arranged in a proper order on the bed of a press or an imposing stone and secure them in a chase in preparation for printing. 5. (figurative) 6. To apply, enforce, or establish (something, often regarded as burdensome as a restriction or tax: see sense 1.2.2) with authority. 7. To place or put (something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, an encumbrance, a penalty, etc.) on another thing or on someone; to inflict, to repose; also, to place or put (on someone a chiefly immaterial thing, especially something regarded as burdensome). 8. To force or put (a thing) on someone or something by deceit or stealth; to foist, to obtrude. 9. (UK, school or university slang) To subject (a student) to imposition (“a task inflicted as punishment”). 10. (archaic or obsolete) To appoint (someone) to be in authority or command over other people. 11. (obsolete) To accuse someone of (a crime, or a sin or other wrongdoing); to charge, to impute. 12. (obsolete) To put (a conclusion or end) to something definitively. 13. (intransitive) Chiefly followed by on or upon. 14. To affect authoritatively or forcefully; to influence strongly. 15. To encroach or intrude, especially in a manner regarded as unfair or unwarranted; to presume, to take advantage of; also, to be a burden or inconvenience. 16. To practise deceit or stealth; to cheat, to deceive, to trick. 17. (obsolete) To subject to an impost, levy, tax, etc. 18. (obsolete) An act of placing or putting on something chiefly immaterial, especially something regarded as burdensome as a duty, a task, etc.; an imposition. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/impose
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
As there are a very great variety of religious sects in the world (and which are probably adapted to different constitutions under different circumstances, seeing there are many good and conscientious characters in each), it is particularly recommended, as a means of uniting the inhabitants of the village into one family, that while each faithfully adheres to the principles which he most approves, at the same time all shall think charitably of their neighbours respecting their religious opinions, and not presumptuously suppose that theirs alone are right. --Robert Owen https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Owen