Compare the likelihood that an astronaut on Mars will be struck by meteoroid with its likelihood on earth.
To compare the likelihood of an astronaut being struck by a meteoroid on Mars versus Earth, we need to consider a few factors.
1. Atmospheric Differences: Earth is protected by its atmosphere, which burns up most small meteoroids before they reach the surface. This means that the likelihood of an astronaut being struck by a meteoroid on Earth is relatively low. On the other hand, Mars has a very thin atmosphere, which provides less protection. Therefore, the likelihood of an astronaut being struck by a meteoroid on Mars is potentially higher.
2. Impact Frequency: The likelihood of being struck by a meteoroid also depends on the frequency of meteoroid impacts. Earth experiences more frequent meteoroid impacts compared to Mars due to various factors such as its larger gravitational pull and longer time in space. As a result, the likelihood of an astronaut being struck by a meteoroid on Earth is generally higher than on Mars.
3. Astronaut Presence: Currently, there are no astronauts on Mars, so the probability is essentially zero. However, if we consider a hypothetical scenario where astronauts are present on both Earth and Mars, the likelihood of being struck by a meteoroid would still be higher on Earth due to its denser population and higher human activity.
In summary, while the likelihood of an astronaut being struck by a meteoroid is generally low both on Earth and Mars, it is relatively higher on Mars due to its thin atmosphere. However, the actual likelihood would also depend on several other factors such as impact frequency and human presence which make it difficult to provide precise numerical comparisons.