<table> <tr align=left> <td><img SRC=rosalie.gif> </td> </tr> </table>
<A HREF="http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/resources/mars_data-information/temperature_overview.html"> <B><I>Mars temperatures</I></B></A> are described by this link and Earth - Mars temperatures are illustrated by the above figure created by Neal Johnson for one of our ``Live From Earth and Mars'' educational modules. Its time span is about 17 days and all are at the same time. They include: 1) Tucson Arizona (Blue), Seattle, Washington (Black), Antarctic South Pole (Green), and Pathfinder Mars (Red).
Arizona is warmer than Seattle, and its diurnal cycle is larger than Seattle's. Note the diurnal cycle on Mars is much larger than on Earth, due to its thin atmosphere, approximately 1% the density of Earth, even though it gets only about 44% as much sunlight. The average temperature of the South Pole winter, is roughly the same as Mars, sub-tropical summer.
The temperatures on the two Viking landers, measured at 1.5 meters above the surface, range from + 1° F, (-17.2° C) to -178° F (-107° C). However, the temperature of the surface at the winter polar caps drop to -225° F, (-143° C) while the warmest soil occasionally reaches +81° F (27° C) as estimated from Viking Orbiter Infrared Thermal Mapper. However, this temperature is only within a few millimeters of the surface!