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Early Elements: Mars and Earth
In Early Elements: Mars and Earth, Professor Brian Cox explains what Mars and Earth looked like when they were formed. Learn which was the original “blue planet.” This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.
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Q: Which was the original “blue planet”?
A: Mars was the original “blue planet” because it was covered with water.
Q: What happened to Mars and Earth over 4 billion years?
A: Earth went from inhospitable to a blue planet full of life; Mars did the opposite.
Q: How do scientists know about early Earth?
A: They studied rocks and deduced what was happening on Earth’s surface when each rock was formed.
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