MARS' NAMING
Mars is
named after the ancient Roman god of war, as befitting the red planet's bloody
color. The Romans copied the ancient Greeks, who named the fourth planet from
the sun after their god of war, Ares. Other civilizations also typically gave
the planet names based on its color — for example, the Egyptians named it
"Her
Desher," meaning "the red one," while ancient Chinese
astronomers
MARS' MEANING
Mars
represents our active energy, the way we go out and get what we want, which can
be determined by, amoung other things, Venus. The characteristics of Mars in
the birth charts shows the nature of our energy flow. Mars rules both the
outer-directed Aries and
the inner-directed Scorpio.
Mars takes two years to circle the sun, and so we see all faces of mars many
times in our life. Mars is considered a "personal" planet, because it
tells something about the way we are as individuals.
MARS' HISTORY
Mars is the
action planet of the zodiac. Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also
the second nearest planet to the Earth and will probably be the first planet
visited by humans. It has an orbital period equal to 687 Earth days and a
rotational period equal to 24hrs 37mins and 22.6 seconds. Therefore there are
668 Martian days in a Martian Year. Mars has a very eccentric orbit that can
vary from 249 million km to 207 million km. As a result, it also experiences
seasons.
Fire is his
element. His nature is hot and dry. He rules Aries, and he is in
exaltation in Capricorn. He is in analogy with the muscles and the
spleen.
The 'Red
Planet,' after all, should be pretty fiery, and Mars does not disappoint.
Energy, passion, drive and determination are all right up Mars's alley. This
planet commands you (and yes, Mars does rule the military) to stand up, be
noticed and get things done -- sitting on the sidelines belongs somewhere else
in the heavens. Simply put, Mars speaks to the power and confident expression
of the individual.
Ambition and competition are also within Mars's realm. Whether it's at work or
on the field of play, Mars encourages us to face challenges and to be our best
-- or better. Aggression is part of the plan here, although Mars also values
courage and honor. Assertion and a daring, fearless nature please this planet.
It's important to note that Mars's energy can be constructive or destructive.
The God of War in ancient times, Mars could be brutally violent. While this
energy still emanates from the planet, it also asks us to harness this force
for good. Stamina, ambition and achievement are all part of Mars' mantra.
Mars
represents the military, sportsmen, warriors, surgeons, blacksmiths, etc. His
age covers the period from 42 to 58 years, approximately.
Mars rules our sexuality and sexual energy, and governs weapons, accidents and
surgery (the last two illustrating the yin and yang nature of this planet). In
the end, however, the energy of Mars can be quite useful if used properly.
It takes nearly two years for Mars to complete its orbit through the zodiac. It
is masculine energy and rules both Aries and Scorpio, and the First and Eighth
Houses.
Temperament:
choleric
Character: emotive, active, primary. He is a choleric.
Mars is a
combative energy and describes how one commands and takes action. He symbolizes
virility, action, violence, courage and boldness. He bestows dynamism and
enterprising spirit, but he can also turn the chart's owner into a despotic,
irascible and primary person.
Mars gives information on the ability to come to grips with things and to
overcome hurdles, as well as the types of sports practiced. It also describes
sexual life and desires.
Because Venus is his opposite, in a woman's chart Mars represents her lovers
and the type of man to whom she is attracted and with whom she is willing to
have a love affair.
Like the Sun, Mars is a masculine planet. However, he is less idealistic than
the Sun, and more active, more primary and more sexually driven.
He is associated with the forties and the fifties, the fully mature individual,
the stage of life when one must fight to assert oneself, when professional
activities are at their heights, and one is aware that nothing is achieved
without effort.
This quite
small planet travels through the Zodiac in 1 year and 220 days. He usually
spends about eight weeks in each sign, although at certain stages of his cycle,
he remains in the same sign during five or six months. His average daily
motion is of half a degree.
ASTRONOMY
Size:
Mars is
about 4,212 miles (6,779 kilometers) in diameter.
Distance from the Sun:
Mars is the
fourth planet from the Sun and orbits roughly 142 million miles (229 million
km) away.
Orbit around the Sun:
It takes
687 Earth days for the Red Planet to go around the Sun one time.
Rotation:
Mars spins
on its axis at about the same speed as Earth does. It takes 24 hours and 37
minutes (about 1 Earth day) for Mars to rotate one time.
Surface:
There are
lots of dry channels on Mars, and they look like Earth's river channels. Most
scientists believe water once flowed on the martian surface, but new studies
suggest there still may be water in some places at and under the surface.
Mars has the largest canyon (Valles Marineris), and the highest volcano
(Olympus Mons) in the solar system.
If Valles Marineris were on Earth, it would span the United
States, from New York on
the East Coast to California
on the West Coast. The canyon is about 1,300 miles (2,100 km) long, 300 miles
(500 km) wide, and about 5 miles (8 km) deep.
Olympus Mons is about three times higher than Mount
Everest. It rises above the Martian surface 14 miles (22 km). This
giant volcano's base is the size of the state of Missouri.
The planet's reddish color is caused by rust (iron oxide) in the soil.
The polar ice caps on Mars are made of frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice, plus
a seasonal coating of water ice.
Atmosphere:
The martian
atmosphere is very thin and made of carbon dioxide (95 percent), nitrogen (3
percent), argon and other gases (1 percent).
Temperature:
The lowest
surface temperature on Mars is –190° F (–123° C), while the hottest temperature
is 90° F (32° C).
Escape velocity:
To escape
the gravity of Mars, you have to travel 11,200 miles (18,000 km) per hour,
compared to 25,000 miles (40,200 km) per hour necessary to escape Earth's
gravity.
Other information:
Because the
Red Planet's color reminded ancient astronomers of blood, they named the planet
after their gods of war. Mars was the Roman god of war, while Ares was the
Greek version.. The planet's two moons also have names that relate to war.
Phobos means "fear," and Deimos means "panic." Phobos is
about 17 miles (27 km) in diameter and Deimos is about 9 miles (14 km).
When it is
nearest to Earth – 59 million km away – Mars can be seen in great detail even
with small
telescopes. The polar ice caps are visible; the southern ice cap can extend
down to 50° latitude or become quite small depending on the season. There are
many bright areas on the red planet, e.g. 'Hellas',
that are in fact deep basins on the planet's surface. There are also dark areas
on the planet's surface, e.g. 'Sirtis Major' (in the shape of a large 'V'),
that were once thought to be seas, but when the atmospheric pressure was
discovered to be too low for liquid water, the dark areas were then thought to
be old sea beds filled with vegetation. However all this was disproved after
the first fly-by mission by Mariner 4 in 1965. And two NASA rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have since beamed back images of the Martian
surface, which they explored.
The highest
known surface point on Mars is a huge volcano known as 'Olympus Mons'. It
stretches 24km high above the lava plains around it and it has a base measuring
600km. Mars has an average surface temperature of about -23°C. Its atmospheric
content includes 95% carbon dioxide, 3% nitrogen and 1.6% argon. Mars is not as
dense or as large as Earth and has an escape velocity of 5km/sec, only enough
to sustain a thin, transparent atmosphere. However, some clouds can be seen and
from time to time the occasional dust storm can completely cover the Martian
surface. The storms occur when wind speed increases to 50-100 meters per second
as dust from the surface is lifted up and bounces along the ground, colliding
with other dust particles and forcing a cataclysmic reaction that could
encompass the entire Martian globe. The technical name for this is 'saltation'.
Mars has
two moons, Phobos and Deimos, both discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall. These two
moons are shaped irregularly and are probably asteroids that were caught by
Mars' gravitational pull a long time ago. Neither is large enough to become
spherical, and both have synchronous rotations enabling them to always keep the
same face toward their parent planet.
Phobos
orbits at a distance of less than 6000 km from the surface of Mars and, with a
maximum diameter of 27 km, is larger than Deimos. Phobos has been falling very
slowly toward the planet at a rate of 10 km every century, because of which it
will collide with Mars in forty million years. Phobos' surface is covered with
craters (the largest is the 10 km-long "Stickney," which was named
after Asaph Hall's wife). Phobos has an orbital period of 7 hours and 39
minutes. Deimos is even smaller than Phobos. Its longest diameter is 15 km and
it orbits 23400 km from the planet's centre and, unlike Phobos, has a stable
orbit.
HISTORY AND
MYTHOLOGY
MARS HAS
ALWAYS BOTH FASCINATED and frightened mankind. History shows that Babylonian
priests and Roman soldiers were intrigued by Mars. More recently, public
interest has been sparked by H. G. Wells, Ray Bradbury and Carl Sagan. And, in
the not-too-distant future, American and Soviet space travelers may make Mars
the first "fellow planet" our species has ever visited.
September
1988 provides the best opportunity in many years for a personal look at the
planet. Not since 1971 has Mars been so close and bright, nor will it be again
until 2003. And because our solar neighbor is far higher in the skies in 1988
than it was in 1971, this is the best time since 1954 for a telescopic look at
the surface features of the red planet.
Of course,
we can marvel at Mars even without a telescope. The three things that
fascinated the ancients will still impress the naked-eye viewer of Mars today:
the planet's color, its brightness and the tremendous way in which that
brightness can increase.
How bright
is Mars? At a close approach like the one this year, Mars greatly outshines all
the stars. Jupiter, rising a few hours after Mars each night, is its only
competition in the evening and midnight autumn sky. Mars reaches peak brilliance
and outshines Jupiter in September and part of October, but then Jupiter,
attaining its own maximum brightness in November, will take over and exceed
Mars. But even when brighter, the almost imperceptibly yellow Jupiter is not
nearly so striking as the more colorful red planet. Mars is certainly not
stoplight red, but when it's very bright, its prominent deep orange hue does
make the planet an imposing sight.
At
Mars-rise, after 9:00 P.M. (daylight-saving time) as September begins, and
after nightfall by late September and October, look due east. You'll see coming
up the steady, unblinking stare of this ruddy planetary beacon that seemed to
many ancient cultures to be stained with blood.
The
Mesopotamians named it Nergal; the Egyptians, Red-Horus (the "planet
smasher"); the Greeks, Ares; the Romans, Mars: all gods of war,
destruction and blood. Even cultures which didn't necessarily connect the
planet with war still alluded to its bloody hue in their name for it. The
Chinese, for example, called Mars Huo Hsing, meaning "Fire
Star."
But it was
not just the color that alarmed superstitious peoples. They were equally awed
by the way the planet changed tremendously in brightness over the course of a
relatively few months or even weeks. In a year like 1988, Mars will increase
its brightness roughly a hundredfold, and our ancestors viewed with dread such
rare years of very close approach.
Perihelions
and Aphelions
Why does
Mars change its brightness so much more than other planets? Why do we get its
closest approach and by-far-greatest display just once every 15 or 17 years?
The answers lie in the planet's orbit.
The
important orbital position in which Earth draws even with Mars-with Earth
between Mars and the Sun-is called "opposition," because at that
point Mars appears opposite the Sun in our sky. In other words, when in
opposition Mars rises at sunset, is highest at midnight and doesn't set until
sunrise.
The reason
Mars sometimes gets enormously brighter at opposition (rather than
just somewhat brighter like other outer planets) is that its distance from
Earth varies by such a large percentage. Jupiter's distance from us varies by
less than 5010, while Mars' distance can vary by about 710%! With Mars on the
far side of the Sun from us, the Earth-to-Mars gulf is roughly 250 million
miles; at the best opposition that distance to Mars can be as little as 35
million.
And now we
come to the most interesting part of all. Why do some oppositions of Mars bring
the planet so much closer, making it appear so much brighter, than others? Why
is there a kind of super opposition of Mars about every 15 or 17 years
(1954,1971,1988, 2003, for example)?
This phenomenon is due to Mars' lopsided
orbit. Its perihelion (point closest to the Sun) is about 129 million
miles from the Sun, while its aphelion (point farthest from the Sun)
is 155 million. Consequently, if Earth passes Mars when the latter is near
aphelion, the separation between the two worlds is approximately 63 million
miles, but if Earth passes Mars when the latter is near perihelion, the
separation can be as small as 35 million miles.
In an
"aphelic opposition" like that of 1980, Mars' brightness only rivals
that of the very brightest star; at a "perihelic opposition" like
that of 1988, the planet far outshines the brightest star. And telescopic views
of Mars in these two oppositions reveal a dramatic difference in the clarity of
the planet's features.
A CLOSER
LOOK AT PLANET MARS
It was the
invention of the telescope that made Mars by far the most interesting of our
fellow planets. By the time of Mars' perihelic oppositions of 1877 and 1892,
telescopes were advanced enough to show that Mars was similar to Earth—perhaps
even similar enough to support some kind of life.
The
planet's rotation period (its "day") and its amount of axis tilt
(which causes seasons) were found to be almost the same as Earth's. Each pole
of Mars had a whitish patch that dwindled in summer and grew in winter-surely
some kind of ice caps like Earth's. There were green regions, too.
You can see
such features yourself if you have access to a telescope this fall. One with a
60mm (less than 2-1/2-inch-diameter) main lens or mirror is a bit small for
serious Mars observing, even with Mars at its closest. But if the atmosphere is
calm (little star-twinkling) and Mars is fairly high (overhead, rather than
close to the horizon), a good telescope of this size could show you one of the
white polar caps, and probably a few of the green areas, and most likely the
roughly triangular Syrtis Major region. However, the green patches might look
merely gray with such a small telescope. If, on the other hand, you have a six-
or eight-inch telescope, there may be some nights this fall when up to several
dozen of the greenish features should be visible in moments of especially good
"seeing" (a very calm atmosphere).
The
late-nineteenth-century observers were fascinated with the green regions;
because these areas seemed to spread as the Martian spring progressed and the
ice caps melted, it was thought perhaps they were oceans or were wet areas with
vegetation.
A great
turning point came with the fine perihelic opposition of 1877. The Italian
astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli thought that in moments of best
"seeing'," he was detecting thin, linear features running between
various green regions on Mars. Assuming that the green areas might be seas, he
called these lines canali, Italian for "channels," or
natural bodies of water connecting supposed seas. Unfortunately, the
translation into English is usually "canals," a word which implies
manufactured waterways.
In America, the wealthy, aristocratic Percival
Lowell was excited by the idea of Martian canals and funded the building of
Lowell Observatory near Flagstaff,
Arizona, to search for them. Not
all observers saw the features, but Lowell, in
the fine climate of Arizona,
did, and his imagination ran wild. He speculated that Mars was drying up and
dying and that the Martians—perhaps a race much older than humans—had built the
canals in a last effort to save themselves.
Lowell influenced half a century of
science-fiction writers and an impressionable public. Edgar Rice Burroughs, the
creator of Tarzan, wrote about John Carter of Virginia adventuring on Mars to win the hand
of the Martian princess Dejah Thoris. Ray Bradbury gave us his rich and often
poignant Martian Chronicles.
"Little
green men from Mars" became a famous jest. But many people weren't
laughing on the night before Halloween in 1938, when Orson Welles' radio
dramatization of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds panicked many folks
into believing the Martians really were invading. At the time, Mars was
inconspicuous; this October 30th, the 50th anniversary of that night, will be
celebrated with the red planet burning ominously bright in our sky.
PINK SKIES,
BLUE SUNSETS
As we look
in awe at Mars with naked eyes or telescopes this autumn, two final questions
further inflame our sense of wonder: Is there life on Mars, and—whether or not
there is—when will men and women of Planet Earth visit this world?
The two
Viking spacecraft that America
sent had landers which set down on the red planet in 1976 to try to determine
if there was life there. The results were inconclusive and not encouraging.
But the
possibility of life on Mars is not yet ruled out. We now know that in the
distant past, perhaps repeatedly, Mars has gone through periods when its
environment was far less hostile. The Viking orbiters found the traces of
ancient riverbeds and mighty floods—perhaps even onetime ocean shores on the
now terribly dry planet. There's still some water—perhaps much below the
surface on Mars.
And the
Viking spacecrafts showed other things about Mars so beautiful and exciting as
to stagger belief. Mars is a planet of pink skies and blue sunsets. It has
volcanoes almost three times taller than Mt. Everest and as wide as Missouri, as well as an often windswept and sometimes
mist-filled canyon as long as the whole United States. There are awesome
planet-wide dust storms, four-mile-tall dust devils, beautiful frosts, incredible
clouds and two close, tiny, lumpy, hurtling moons called Phobos and Deimos.
If all went
well with a launch last July, Phobos may soon be visited by an Earth probe. The
Soviet Phobos spacecraft should be on its way even as you read these words.
When it
arrives next spring, the vehicle (unmanned, of course) will perform some unique
experiments, including landing a device which will bounce around Phobos. (The
little moon's gravity is so slight that a person running fairly fast could
actually take off and escape from Phobos into his or her own orbit around
Mars!)
Other plans
for truly grand Mars missions lie further ahead. The U. S. and U. S. S. R. have some
very ambitious unmanned missions on the drawing board for the 1990s. And
looming in the more distant future perhaps only 10 to 20 years away-is the
mission that some scientists believe could help bring the nations of our world
together as nothing else ever has: the first manned flight to Mars.
Could this
planet named for the god of war help bring peace to our world? That's the
biggest dream of all to consider as we watch the beacon of fire called Mars in
our sky this autumn.
THE
ROTATION OF EARTH AND MARS
Despite
their big difference in size, the 24-hour rotation periods (or
"days") for Earth and Mars are about the sane. A day on Mars is
slightly longer than here.
ATMOSPHERE
DENSITY
The
"air" on Mars is about 10 times thinner than that on Earth and is
composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide. Temperatures generally range from
-120 degrees Fahrenheit nighttime lows to -20 degrees Fahrenheit daytime
highs..
RELATIVE
TILT
Mars' axis
tilt (which causes the change of seasons) is 25.1 degrees; Earth's is similar
at 23.5 degrees.
ORBITS
EXPLAINED
Though
Earth and Mars often draw even with each other, the three diagrams above
explain why our closest solar neighbor sometimes appears so much bigger and
brighter to earth observers.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
Physical
Characteristics
Mars has a
striking red appearance, and in its most favorable position for viewing, when
it is opposite the sun, it is twice as bright as Sirius, the brightest star.
Mars has a diameter of 4,200 mi (6,800 km), just over half the diameter of the
earth, and its mass is only 11% of the earth's mass. The planet has a very thin
atmosphere consisting mainly of carbon dioxide (95%) with some nitrogen, argon,
oxygen, and other gases. Mars has an extreme day-to-night temperature range,
resulting from its thin atmosphere, from about 80°F (27°C) at noon to about -
100°F ( - 73°C) at midnight; however, the high daytime temperatures are
confined to less than 3 ft (1 m) above the surface.
Surface
Features
A network
of linelike markings first studied in detail (1877) by G. V. Schiaparelli was
referred to by him as canali, the Italian word meaning
"channels" or "grooves." Percival Lowell, then a leading
authority on Mars, created a long-lasting controversy by accepting these
"canals" to be the work of intelligent beings. Under the best viewing
conditions, however, these features are seen to be smaller, unconnected
features. The greater part of the surface area of Mars appears to be a vast
desert, dull red or orange in color. This color may be due to various oxides in
the surface composition, particularly those of iron. About one fourth to one
third of the surface is composed of darker areas whose nature is still
uncertain. Shortly after its perihelion Mars has planetwide dust storms that
can obscure all its surface details.
Photographs
sent back by the Mariner 4 space probe show the surface of Mars to be
pitted with a number of large craters, much like the surface of Earth's moon.
In 1971 the Mariner 9 space probe discovered a huge canyon, Valles
Marineris. Completely dwarfing the Grand Canyon in Arizona, this canyon stretches for 2,500 mi
(4,000 km) and at some places is 125 mi (200 km) across and 2 mi (3 km) deep.
Mars also has numerous enormous volcanoes—including Olympus Mons (c.370 mi/600
km in diameter and 16 mi/26 km tall), the largest in the solar system—and lava
plains. In 1976 the Viking spacecraft landed on Mars and studied
sites at Chryse and Utopia. They recorded a desert environment with a reddish
surface and a reddish atmosphere. Experiments analyzed soil samples for
evidence of microorganisms or other forms of life; none was found, but a
reinterpretation (2010) of the results in light of data collected later
suggests that organic compounds may have been present. In 1997, Mars
Pathfinder landed on Mars and sent a small rover, Sojourner, to
take soil samples and pictures. Among the data returned were more than 16,000
images from the lander and 550 images from the rover, as well as more than 15
chemical analyses of rocks and extensive data on winds and other weather factors. Mars
Global Surveyor, which also reached Mars in 1997 and remained operational
until 2006, returned images produced by its systematic mapping of the surface.
The European Space Agency's Mars Express space probe went into orbit
around Mars in late 2003 and sent the Beagle 2 lander to the surface,
but contact was not established with the lander. In addition to studying Mars
itself, the orbiter has also studied Mars's moons. The American
rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed
successfully in early 2004 and have explored the Martian landscape
( Spirit's last transmission was in 2010). In 2008 NASA's Phoenix lander
touched down in the planet's north polar region; it conducted studies for five
months. Curiosity, another NASA rover, landed on Mars near its equator
in 2012.
Analysis of
space probes' data indicates that Mars appears to lack active plate
tectonics at present; there is no evidence of recent lateral motion of
the surface. With no plate motion, hot spots under the crust stay in a fixed
position relative to the surface; this, along with the lower surface gravity,
may be the explanation for the giant volcanoes. However, there is no evidence
of current volcanic activity.
There is
evidence of erosion caused by floods and small river systems as well as
evidence of ancient lakebeds. The possible identification of rounded pebbles
and cobbles on the ground, and sockets and pebbles in some rocks, suggests
conglomerates that formed in running water during a warmer past some 2–4
billion years ago, when liquid water was stable and there was water on the
surface, possibly even large lakes or oceans. Rovers have identified minerals
believed to have formed in the presence of liquid water. There is also evidence
of flooding that occurred less than several million years ago, most likely as
the result of the release of water from aquifers deep underground or the
melting of ice. However, other evidence suggests that the water would have been
extremely salty and acidic. Data received beginning in 2002 from the Mars
Odyssey space probe suggests that there is water in sand dunes found in
the northern hemisphere, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which
went into orbit around the planet in 2006, collected radar data that indicates
the presence of large subsurface ice deposits in the mid-northern latitudes of
Mars. Most of the known water on Mars, however, lies in a frozen layer under
the planet's large polar ice caps, which themselves consist of water ice and
dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide); the lander Phoenix found and
observed frozen water beneath the soil surface in the north polar region in
2008.
Seasonal
Changes
Because the
axis of rotation is tilted about 25° to the plane of revolution, Mars
experiences seasons somewhat similar to those of the earth. One of the most
apparent seasonal changes is the growing or shrinking of white areas near the
poles known as polar caps. These polar caps, which are are composed of water
ice and dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide). During the Martian summer the polar
cap in that hemisphere shrinks and the dark regions grow darker; in winter the
polar cap grows again and the dark regions become paler. The seasonal portion
of the ice cap is dry ice. When the ice cap is seasonally warmed, geyserlike
jets of carbon dioxide gas mixed with dust and sand erupt from the ice.
Basic
Astronomical facts about Mars:
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and it is the first planet outside
Earth's boundary. It appears to be of reddish color as seen from Earth. It has
a diameter of about 6,794 kilometers. Its closest distance from the Earth is
about 56 million kilometers. From Sun its distance varies from 205 million
kilometers to 249 million kilometers. Mars takes 687 days to make one orbit
around the Sun and it takes 24 hours and 37 minutes to complete one rotation on
its axis. Its surface temperature varies from 10°C to -120° C. Its average
geocentric motion per day is 00°31'27". Mars have two natural satellite of
its own, named Phobos and Deimos. Mars retrograde period is about 60 to 80 days
and it gets retrograde approximately every twenty six months.
The Mars in Hindu Mythology
Daksha, the king of entire earth once organized the greatest yagna and invited
all gods, demigods, sages, and other famous personalities. He however did not
invite Lord Shiva, his own son-in-law. When Sati, Lord Shiva's wife heard about
this yagna she left to attend it inspite her husband's objections, but when she
arrived there her father Daksha insulted Shiva. This was unbearable for Sati
and she gave up her life. On hearing the events that had taken place at
Daksha's yagna, Lord Shiva's wrath reached its boiling point and in rage he
pulled a hair from his matted locks and threw it on the ground and it became a fiery
being of unequal strength with many heads and eyes, and thousands arms and
legs. His mare sight was enough to strike unparallel fear in strongest of
hearts. Lord Shiva named him Virabhadra and commanded him to destroy Daksha and
his yagna and anyone who tries to stop him. Virabhadra with Shiva's army of
spirits and goblins reached the venue of the yagna and seeing him and his army
all started to run in different directions to save themselves. Virabhadra
destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, and then killed Daksha. Virabhadra returned to
Shiva who was extremely pleased with him, and granted him a permanent place in
the heavens as a planet and named him Angaraka (Mars), the fiercest of planets.
As Lord Shiva directly produced Mars or Angaraka's, he is naturally referred as
son of Lord Shiva just like his other son Karttikeya and it is said that those
afflicted by Mars should worship Karthikeya.
Basic Astrological facts about Mars:
The Mars is of masculine gender, karaka or significator of the strength and
power, as relationship significator it denotes siblings, as body part
significator it governs the chest. As per planetary cabinet it have the status
of army commander, its temperament is violent, angry and rash, its element is
agni or fire, its primary quality or guna is tamo or dull or ignorant, by caste
it is kshatriya or warrior and its nature is malefic.
It is the ruler of zodiacal sign of Aries and Scorpio and astrological first
and eight houses, its exaltation sign is Capricorn, debilitation sign is Cancer
and determent sign is Libra. It get directional strength in tenth house (south)
and directional weakness in fourth house (north). As per planetary relationship
its friends are Sun, Moon and Jupiter, it is neutral with Venus and Saturn and
its enemy is Mercury. Nakshatras or Lunar mansions governed by Mars are
Mrigashira, Chitra and Dhanishta. Its period as per Vimshottari Dasa is of
seven years. It rules south direction and Tuesday among the days of the week.
It governs grishma or summer season and in metals copper Its gemstone is coral
and substitute gemstones is bloodstone and blood red is the color ruled by it.
In food and flavors it governs things of bitter taste. It represents the
geometrical shape of a hourglass. Positive key words for Mars are courage,
energy, activity, initiative, and originality. Negative key words for Mars are
arrogant, aggressive, headstrong, selfish, and impulsive. As per Numerology
numbers 9, 18, 27, 36 and all those that adds up to nine, are governed by it.
Body parts, function and diseases governed Mars:
Mars is associated with our physical and energy levels It is the natural
significator of muscles, without Mars one cannot move a muscle and it is the
energizer and stimulator of all aspects of our bodies. In terms of body parts
and health problems Mars signifies head and reproductive organs due to its
ownership of Aries and Scorpio, the natural first and eight houses of the
zodiac. It governs muscular system, adrenal and prostate gland, blood
-specifically red blood cells and thus signifies any disease related to blood
disorders, such as anemia, blood poisoning etc. Any type of blows, cuts,
accident, wounds and surgery are signified by Mars. Headaches including
migraine headaches, brain fevers and any type of inflammation, high fever and
rapid temperature increases are also governed by Mars. As Mars also rules over
the reproductive system it governs most diseases related to them like
hemorrhoids, diseases of the reproductive system, coon, bladder, and venereal
diseases. If Mars is well placed and aspected then one can quickly bounce back
from sickness and have good recuperating powers and stamina.
Professions governed by Mars:
People working in departments or trade related to police, army, firemen,
security guards, weapons, ordnance, firearms, ammunition, artillery,
inflammable substance and anything that is volatile, needs physical power
including any fast, active and contact sports. Surgeons, radiologists,
pathologist, technicians, mechanics and repair workers of any kind of machine,
electronics and electrical systems, construction workers, iron and steel
workers, butchers and barbers. Manufacturer or traders in acids, metal melting
industries, furnaces etc.
The Mantras for Mars:
Beej
Mantra of the Mars:
|
Om kram kreem kroum sah bhaumaya namah
|
Mars
stotra:
|
Dharanigarbha
sambhutam vidyut kanti samaprabha kumaram shaktihastam cha mangalam pranam
mayaham
|
Gayatri
Mantra of Mars:
|
Om angarakaya vidmahe sakti hastaya dhimahi tanno bhaumah
prachodayat
|
Remedies for Mars which are performed if Mars is not well placed in the
horoscope:
Worshiping
the ruling deities of the Mars, Lord Kartikeya and Shiva.
Recitation
of Durga or Hanuman chalisa.
Reciting of
Mars Mantras.
Charity:
Donate red cloths, red lentils, ghee and black pepper on Tuesdays to young
males.
Fasting: On
Tuesdays.
Pooja:
Kartikeya or Hanuman pooja.
Rudraksh:
Wear three mukhi (three faced) Rudraksh.
MARS:-
Thirst, impurity of blood and diseases arising there from, jaundice, fever,
troubles from fire, weapons and poison; leprosy; eye troubles, fits of all
kinds, diseases of marrow, beri-beri, itches and boils, diseases of the head.
Mars is a
violent planet and appears red in colour. Malefic effect on Mars denotes
accidents, surgery, injury, blood disorders, acidity, acne, ulcers, smoking
habits, boils, aggressive behaviour etc.
WHAT DOES MARS REPRESENTS ?
Mars
represents : Murder, violence, Riots, Violent Fires, prominently relates to
Brother & Earth, Machinery
Mars in
positive house : Self Confidence, Daring, unusual Activity, Restlessness A well
placed Mars gives good relations with Brothers,
Agricultural & House / property,
If Mars is
related to the 10 th house then Authority is bestowed and can be misused. Mars rules
: Iron, Steel, Knives, Arms & Ammunition, Political differences, Family
disputes. Mars represents : Chicken Pox,
Measles, Cuts, Bleeding, Urinary System, Liver etc. Chemist, Druggist Surgeon.
Mars in
Signs can relate to Occupation :
In Water Signs = Navy,
Earth
= Army,
Air
= Pilots,
Plants -
Astrology and Mythology
Plants seen
from an astrological perspective. See how zodiac signs and plants (trees,
shrubs, herbs, crawlers, bulbs, vegetables, annuals, fruits and nuts) are
connected.
The myths
sourrounding the plants and the facts revealed, their medicinal properties give
a flavour to your basic need from mother nature.How Plants are connected with
the Planets ?
- Herbs
like Basil, agrimony, garlic, mustard, nettle, thistle, wild
indigo, wild
lettuce, worm
wood.
- Shrubs like andrographis, barberry, broom, gooseberry.
- Trees like alder-buckthorn, camphor, hawthorn, hop
tree, jamiaca
pepper, jujube
berry, thuja, pine
tree.
Sun Signs
Education and Career
He
signifies stamina and ability to break down a complex problem into smaller
parts and analyze each of them to have a comprehensive study of the whole
problem. It uses logical reasoning to get a solution. It represents technical
knowledge, mathematics, logistics and surgery. Mars gives alert mind and makes
one quick to act. However aspect of mars on mercury can cause break in
education. Mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering, trades in metals,
geological institutions, railways, labour forces, surgery departments,
trades in weapons, cooking are few professions related to mars.
What is
Mars in the birth chart?:
This is
where the planet Mars was when you were born. There are two things to consider
that help to understand your Mars. What is your Mars sign? Where
is your Mars (what house) on the birth chart?
How can I
find out about my Mars sign and house position? :
You'll find
it by looking for the Mars symbol on the birth
chart .
What does
Mars have to do with our sex lives?:
In
astrology Mars is said to influence what turns you on, and how you'll pursue a
potential mate. The sign and house position of Mars determines whether you'll
have a detached or lovey-dovey approach to what goes on in the bedroom.
What's the
difference between Venus and Mars in my birth chart?:
Mars is the
passionate impulse and action, while Venus tends
to the overall relationship atmosphere. Mars is the masculine aspect, and this
goes beyond sex into your drive, discipline, will-power and stamina. Venus is
the feminine aspect, and tempers Mars to smell the roses along the way. We need
Mars' fire to generate sparks, and keep it spicy.
What does
Mars have to do with my overall personality?:
Mars is
like the volcano of vitality inside you that must be released and channeled.
Mars lights up when you become filled with desire, and this guides you toward
your destiny. It influences aspects of character related to action, like
endurance, persistence, discipline. The aspects with Mars in your chart show
things like how you handle frustration and conflict.
What does
Mars have to do with anger and violence?:
Mars needs
a mission, and can stir up serious trouble when repressed or twarted. When Mars
is in conflict with other planets, you might struggle with anger issues and in
extreme cases, be a rage-a-holic or veer toward violent behavior. The most
famous example is Hilter, who had Mars squaring Saturn in his birth chart.
Why is Mars
called the Red Planet?:
Mars was named
for the Roman God of War, and is also known as "the bright and burning
one." Its landscape is red and orange ochre, and its sky is a swirly
red-pink.
What are
the Keywords of Mars ?
ambition,
sexual desire, passion, determination, will to act, discipline, motivation,
initiation, impulses, fire within, energy levels, expressing anger
What is the
meaning of Mars in Astrology?:
Mars lights
a fire under our passions, and then propels us like an ignited rocket toward
our goals. This is an important energy, since it determines how we pursue what
we want to achieve in life. These flashpoints burn a path toward what is
possible, if we follow them.
What do you
consider before taking action? What creates momentum in your life? How do you
corral others to join you in some activity? The answer to these questions are
dictated by Mars.
Sexually,
Mars influences how you go about initiating a night of amour. Mars determines
how you court a potential lover, from being cooly detached, to becoming ablaze
with ardent intensity, and every style in between.
The planet
is named for the God of War, but Mars energy only becomes a negative force when
it serves the Ego, and not a higher cause. On a social level, it is a primal
force that can become destructive when its collective power is harnessed for
questionable purposes. Your Mars, or desire drives, can be co-opted and
channeled by others. That makes a strong case for understanding your desires,
and not allowing them to fall into shadow.
When Mars
is "afflicted" or has many conflicts in a birth chart, it can lead to
repressing the vital fire within. But not to be denied, a stifled Mars will
eventually erupt, and emerge through temper tantrums or just a lowgrade, but
constant irritability.
All Mars
asks is to be channeled and given an outlet. When your own Mars nature is
understood, it's easier to master. It guides you toward making the most of your
potential through the use of your own natural assertiveness.
