Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Saturn

2009-03-23T14:00:51Z

DemetriusN: /* Physical characteristics */ density clarification

:''For other uses, please see [[Saturn (disambiguation)]].''
{{Planet|image=SaturnCassiniOverview.jpg
|caption=Composite true-color image of Saturn by spacecraft [[Cassini-Huygens Mission|Cassini]] in October of 2004.
|origname=Roman god of harvest
|symbol=Saturn symbol.svg
|order=7
|primary=Sun
|periapsis=1,352,550,000 km<ref name=saturnfact>Williams, David R. "[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/saturnfact.html Saturn Fact Sheet]." National Space Science Data Center, [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], November 23, 2007. Accessed May 19, 2008.</ref>
|apoapsis=1,514,500,000 km<ref name=saturnfact/>
|semimajor=1,433,530,000 km<ref name=saturnfact/><ref name=planetsoc>"[http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/saturn/ Space Topics: Saturn]." ''The Planetary Society''. Accessed May 19, 2008.</ref>
|bode=10.0 AU
|circumference=59.879 AU
|eccentricity=0.0565<ref name=saturnfact/>
|sidereal=10,759.22 da (29.4 a)<ref name=saturnfact/>
|synodic=378.09 da<ref name=saturnfact/>
|orbitspeed=10.183 km/s
|inclination=2.485°<ref name=saturnfact/>
|reference=the ecliptic
|siderealday=10.656 h<ref name=saturnfact/>
|solarday=10.656 h<ref name=saturnfact/>
|rotatespeed=9.8663 m/s<ref name=calc>Calculated</ref>
|axialtilt=26.73°<ref name=saturnfact/>
|mass=5.6846 * 1026 kg<ref name=saturnfact/>
|density=687.3 kg/m³<ref name=saturnfact/>
|surfacegrav=8.96 m/s²<ref name=saturnfact/>
|escapespeed=35.49 km/s<ref name=saturnfact/>
|meanradius=58,232 km<ref name=saturnfact/>
|equatorradius =60,268 km<ref name=saturnfact/>
|polarradius=54,364 km<ref name=saturnfact/>
|surfacearea=42,612,000,000 km²<ref name=calc/>
|meantemp=134 K
|moons=60
|composition=hydrogen 96.3%, helium 3.25%, methane 4500 ppm, ammonia 125 pm, hydrogen deuteride 110 ppm, ethane 1.5 ppm, plus aerosols of ammonia ice, water ice, and ammonia hydrosulfide<ref name=saturnfact/>
|color=light yellow
|albedo=0.47<ref name=saturnfact/>
|mfd=0.210 G<ref name=saturnfact/>
|pmdm=4.6 * 1025 N-m/T<ref name=Russell>Russell, C. T., and Luhmann, J. G. "[http://www-ssc.igpp.ucla.edu/personnel/russell/papers/sat_mag.html Saturn: Magnetic Field and Magnetosphere]." ''Encyclopedia of Planetary Sciences'', J. H. Shirley and R. W. Fainbridge, eds. New York: Chapman and Hall, 1997, pp. 718-719. Accessed May 19, 2008.</ref><ref name=Humphreys>Humphreys, D. R. "[http://www.creationresearch.org/crsq/articles/21/21_3/21_3.html The Creation of Planetary Magnetic Fields]." ''[[Creation Research Society Quarterly]]'' 21(3), December 1984. Accessed April 29, 2008.</ref>
|cmdm=1.34 * 1026 N-m/T<ref name=Humphreys/>
|mdt=5300 a<ref name=Humphreys/>
|mhl=3700 a<ref name=calc/>
}}'''Saturn''' is the sixth [[planet]] from the [[sun]] and the second largest planet in the [[solar system]]. Saturn is a [[gas giant]] with an atmosphere predominantly of [[hydrogen]], with a small fraction of [[helium]] and trace amounts of several other compounds.<ref name=saturnfact/> The most prominent feature of Saturn is its ring system, which has been known to [[astronomy]] since less than half a century after the invention of the telescope and was for more than three centuries the only ring system known to man.

== Ancient knowledge and naming ==
Saturn has been known to post-diluvian man since the beginnings of recorded history.<ref name=Arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/saturn.html Entry for Saturn]." ''The <s>Nine</s> 8 Planets'', May 11, 2005. Accessed May 19, 2008.</ref> The Hindus called Saturn Sani, one of nine objects called the ''Navagraha'' that constituted a celestial council. (The other eight members of this council were the [[Sun]], the [[Moon]], the modern planets [[Mars]], [[Venus]], [[Mercury]], and [[Jupiter]], and the ascending and descending nodes of the Moon's orbit, which the Hindus named Rahu and Ketu.) The Hindus feared Sani above all other objects, believing that he could burn any object instantly by merely glancing at it.<ref name=windows>"[http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/sani.html&edu=high Entry for Sani]." ''Windows to the Universe'', University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, University of Michigan, July 19, 2001. Accessed May 19, 2008.</ref>

The ancient [[Greece|Greeks]] regarded this object, the furthest moving object that they knew, as the father of all the classical gods. They named him Kronos,<ref name=Arnett/> a word closely akin to ''chronos'', which means time. That [[Jupiter]] is far more prominent in the sky was a sign to the Greeks that Zeus, the most prominent son of Kronos, had deposed him, even as Kronos had deposed his own father, Ouranos (Uranus).

The [[Rome|Romans]] named this deity Saturnus and regarded him not merely as the father of the gods but also as the patron of [[agriculture]] and the harvest. His symbol, a stylized rendering of a sickle, reflects that association. The name Saturn also appears in the name of Saturday, the English name for the seventh day of the week.<ref name=Arnett/>

== Orbital characteristics ==
Saturn's orbit is about 3.4 times as eccentric as Earth's orbit. Saturn keeps an average orbital distance of 1,433,530,000 km from the sun, a distance close to that predicted by the [[Titius-Bode Law]].<ref name=saturnfact/> Saturn's orbit is slightly inclined to the ecliptic, with the result that the [[Earth]] passes from one side to the other of Saturn's ring plane every so often.<ref name=Arnett/> Saturn's sidereal period is about 29.4 [[Earth]] years. Its ''synodic'' period is 378.09 days.

== Physical characteristics ==
Saturn's volumetric mean radius is 58,232 km. Remarkably, due to its composition of various gases, Saturn is less dense than [[water]]; however, a body which could hold a large enough volume of water to enable Saturn to float has not yet been constructed. Its chief constituent is molecular [[hydrogen]], followed by [[helium]], [[methane]], [[ammonia]], [[hydrogen deuteride]], and [[ethane]]. Aerosols of ammonia ice, water ice, and [[ammonia hydrosulfide]] complete Saturn's composition.

Saturn has high winds, which blow easterly at 500 m/s at the equator.<ref name=Hamilton>Hamilton, Calvin J. "[http://www.solarviews.com/eng/saturn.htm Entry for Saturn]." ''Views of the Solar System'', 1997-2005. Accessed May 19, 2008.</ref>

== Magnetosphere ==
Saturn has a magnetic dipole moment of 4.6 * 1025 N-m/T, less than one-thirtieth of that of [[Jupiter]]. Remarkably, the magnetic axis deviates only slightly from the rotational axis. The magnetophere extends slightly beyond the orbit of Titan, and Titan's upper atmosphere contributes plasma particles to the Saturnine magnetosphere.<ref name=Russell/>

== Ring system ==
Saturn’s ring system is the brightest in all the solar system, with an albedo varying from 0.2 to 0.6, often brighter than the planet itself.<ref name=Arnett/>

The rings have radii varying from 60,268 km to 483,000 km. Saturn's rings divide into seven portions, designated D, C, B, A, F, G, and E from inner to outer. A wide gap called the Cassini Division separates the B and A rings, and the A rings themselves have two gaps, called the Encke and Keeler gaps.<ref name=saturnringfact>Williams, David R. "[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/satringfact.html Saturnian Rings Fact Sheet]." [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], September 18, 2006. Accessed May 19, 2008.</ref>

The two Voyager spacecraft sent back cinematic images that showed that the rings were spoked, and that the spokes persist, especially in the B ring system.<ref name=Arnett/><ref name=Hamilton/> Current theories suggest that the spokes result from magnetic interaction, because the rings all lie well within Saturn's magnetosphere. Furthermore, the F ring appears to be braided, a phenomenon that remains unexplained today.<ref name=Arnett/>

Many of the innermost moons of Saturn orbit close to the rings, especially the F and E rings, and serve to regularize their structure, a phenomenon called "shepherding."<ref name=Hamilton/>

== Problems for uniformitarian theories ==
The origin of Saturn's rings remains a mystery<ref name=Arnett/><ref name=Hamilton/>, and a troublesome one. The rings are not stable and hence could not have persisted for the whole of the assumed [[deep time]] age of the solar system.<ref name=Arnett/> [[Uniformitarianism|Uniformitarians]] admit that Saturn's rings could not be older than about 100 million years.<ref name=Arnett/> They therefore propose that Saturn's rings formed from the disintegration of one or more moons, perhaps following a collision with a [[comet]].<ref name=Arnett/><ref name=Hamilton/> However, Wing-Huan Ip at the Max Planck Institute calculated that a comet-moon collision would not be sufficiently likely to occur in less time than 30 billion years. This is more than twice the age of the universe calculated from the [[Hubble Constant]].<ref name=Harris>Harris, David M. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v12/i4/saturn.asp How Old are Saturn's Rings]?" ''Creation'', 12(4):40–41. September 1990. Accessed May 18, 2008.</ref>

== Observation and Exploration ==
[[Galileo Galilei]] was the first astronomer to observe Saturn with a telescope. But he did not realize that he was looking at a ringed planet. Only in 1659 did [[Christiaan Huygens]] understand that Saturn was ringed. For three centuries more, Saturn's ring system was the only such system known, until in 1977 NASA astronomers inferred the ring system of [[Uranus]] from a stellar occultation experiment.

Telescopic observation of Saturn has been ongoing since the earliest observations by Huygens and [[Giovanni Domenico Cassini]]. The [[Hubble Space Telescope]] and many Earth-based telescopes have taken many images of a quality comparable to that of images sent back from spacecraft.

The first spacecraft to visit Saturn was [[Pioneer 11]] in 1979, followed by [[Voyager 1]] (1980) and [[Voyager 2]] (1981).<ref name=Arnett/> The spacecraft of the joint NASA/[[European Space Agency|ESA]] [[Cassini-Huygens Mission]] arrived in the Saturnine system on July 1, 2004.<ref name=Arnett/> The Huygens spacecraft landed on Saturn's largest moon, [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], and transmitted images and data all during its descent and for three hours after landing. The Cassini spacecraft continues to orbit Saturn and make frequent rendezvous with its most prominent moons to this day (May 19, 2008). Its mission was originally scheduled to run for four years, ending in July 2008, but NASA has announced a two-year extension with multiple rendezvous with [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] and additional rendezvous with [[Enceladus]], [[Rhea (moon)|Rhea]], [[Dione (moon)|Dione]], and [[Helene]]. Mission planners also suggest that after two years, Cassini might still have enough fuel for another two-year extension, and speak hopefully of specific future missions to Titan and Enceladus.<ref name=extended>Brown, Dwayne, and Martinez, Carolina. "[http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/media/cassini-20080415.html NASA Extends Cassini's Grand Tour of Saturn]." [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], April 15, 2008. Accessed May 16, 2008.</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Saturnrings.jpg|Image of Saturn captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1996
</gallery>

== Satellites ==
Saturn has at least sixty confirmed satellites and three unconfirmed satellites. Of the sixty known satellites, five are "ring shepherds."<ref>The three unconfirmed satellites, if confirmed, would also be ring shepherds. In addition, the A ring has a large collection of "moonlets" that shepherd the other smaller particles.</ref> Two of the satellites, [[Epimetheus (moon)|Epimetheus]] and [[Janus]], actually exchange orbits regularly. Two of the largest moons, [[Tethys (moon)|Tethys]] and [[Dione (moon)|Dione]], each have two moons that occupy the stable libration or "Trojan" points in their respective orbits. Most of Saturn's moons lie beyond the orbit of [[Iapetus (moon)|Iapetus]], the outermost of the large spheroidal moons.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

== Related Links ==
* [http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Saturn&Display=Overview Saturn] by [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]]

{{solarsystem}}

Mars

2009-03-23T13:57:08Z

DemetriusN: /* Young Mars Creation model. */ Life on Mars

''For the [[Roman]] god of war, see [[Mars (god)]]''

{{Planet|image=Mars Viking.jpg
|caption=Mars photographed by [[Viking Orbiter]]s
|symbol=Mars symbol.svg
|discname=Known to ancients
|origname=Roman god of war
|order=4
|primary=Sun
|periapsis=206,620,000 km<ref name=marsfact>Williams, David R. "[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html Mars Fact Sheet]." National Space Science Data Center, [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], November 29, 2007. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>
|apoapsis=249,230,000 km<ref name=marsfact/>
|semimajor=227,920,000 km<ref name=marsfact/>
|bode=1.6 AU
|circumference=1,429,033,627 km
|eccentricity=0.0935<ref name=marsfact/>
|sidereal=686.980 da<ref name=marsfact/>
|synodic=779.94 da<ref name=marsfact/>
|orbitspeed=24.077 km/s
|inclination=1.850°<ref name=marsfact/>
|reference=the ecliptic
|siderealday=24.6229 h<ref name=marsfact/>
|solarday=24.6597 h<ref name=marsfact/>
|rotatespeed=465.11 m/s
|axialtilt=25.19°<ref name=marsfact/>
|mass=6.4185 * 1023 kg<ref name=marsfact/>
|density=3,933 kg/m³<ref name=marsfact/>
|surfacegrav=3.71 m/s²<ref name=marsfact/>
|escapespeed=5.03 km/s<ref name=marsfact/>
|meanradius=3389.5 km<ref name=marsfact/>
|equatorradius =3396.2 km<ref name=marsfact/>
|polarradius=3376.2 km<ref name=marsfact/>
|surfacearea=144,800,000 km²
|mintemp=140 K<ref name=Arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html Entry for Mars]." ''The <s>Nine</s> 8 Planets'', September 26, 2006. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>
|meantemp=218 K<ref name=Arnett/>
|maxtemp=300 K<ref name=Arnett/>
|moons=2
|composition=Rock
|color=Red
|albedo=0.15<ref name=marsfact/>
|pmdm=2.1 * 1018 N-m/T<ref name=Humphreys>Humphreys, D. R. "[http://www.creationresearch.org/crsq/articles/21/21_3/21_3.html The Creation of Planetary Magnetic Fields]." ''[[Creation Research Society Quarterly]]'' 21(3), December 1984. Accessed April 29, 2008.</ref>
|cmdm=1.51 * 1023 N-m/T<ref name=Humphreys/>
|mdt=535 a<ref name=Humphreys/>
|mhl=370.83 a<ref name=calc>Calculated</ref>
}}
'''Mars''' is the fourth planet from the [[Sun]], after [[Mercury]], [[Venus]], and [[Earth]]. It is called "The Red Planet" on account of the iron oxide that covers much of its suface.

== Ancient knowledge and naming ==
Mars has the [[Rome|Roman]] name of the classical god of war. This name in turn derives from the [[Greece|Greek]] name ''Ares'' for this god. (The traditional symbol of Mars is his shield and spear.) The ancient [[Egypt]]ians simply called Mars ''Her Descher'', or "the red one."<ref name=Hamilton>Hamilton, Calvin J. "[http://www.solarviews.com/eng/mars.htm Entry for Mars]." ''Views on the Solar System'', 2008. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref> The [[Hindu]]s call Mars Mangala, one of the Navagraha.<ref name=ucar>"[http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/mangala.html&edu=high Mangala]." ''Windows to the Universe'', University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, University of Michigan, September, 2000. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref> The [[Maya]] people also tracked Mars regularly.

== Orbital characteristics ==
Mars is in a highly elliptical orbit around the Sun and maintains an average distance slightly more than 1.5 AU. The synodic period of Mars is roughly 26 months. This fact makes Mars a particularly difficult object to explore, because opportunities to launch a rocket probe to Mars occur so far apart in time.

== Rotational characteristics ==
Mars' sidereal and solar days are only slightly longer than the days of earth. This fact has led long-term Mars mission planners to adopt a permanent system for keeping time "local" to Mars. The first mission to use this "Mars solar clock" was [[Viking 1]] in 1976.<ref name=Allison>Allison, Michael, and Schmunk, Robert. "[http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/mars24/help/notes.html Technical Notes on Mars Solar Time as Adopted by the Mars24 Sunclock]." Goddard Institute for Space Studies, [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], May 20, 2008. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>

== Physical characteristics ==
Mars is half the size of Earth and has about 11% of earth's mass. The large proportion of [[iron]] in Mars' clay-like topsoil gives Mars its distinctive color.

The weather on Mars is seasonal, on account of Mars's axial inclination. Yet because Mars's orbit is so eccentric, "summer" and "winter" on the northern and southern hemispheres can vary greatly. Temperatures vary from 140 K to 300 K, with an average temperature of 210 K. (The freezing point of [[water]] is 273.15 K.)

=== Atmosphere ===
Mars' atmosphere is quite thin and has an average pressure of 6.36 mb or 0.636% of that of earth. Its chief components are 95.32% [[carbon dioxide]], 2.7% [[nitrogen]], 1.6% [[argon]], 0.13% [[oxygen]], and 0.08% [[carbon monoxide]]. In addition it has trace amounts of [[water]] (210 ppm), [[nitrogen oxide]] (100 ppm), [[neon]] (2.5 ppm), hydrogen-deuterium oxide (HDO) (0.85 ppm), [[krypton]] (0.3 ppm), and [[xenon]] (0.08 ppm). Winds on Mars vary in speed from 2-7 m/s in summer to 5-10 m/s in fall, though the [[Project Viking]] landers have recorded winds varying from 17-30 m/s during dust storms that have swept past the landing sites.<ref name=marsfact/>

Recent warming trends on Mars, including an apparent partial melt of the polar ice caps, have led at least one scientist to question the widely circulating theories of [[global warming]] on earth. Specifically, Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, asserts that the sun, and not any activity specific to the earth, must be responsible for any warming observed on either planet.<ref name=ngs>Ravilious, Kate. "[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070228-mars-warming.html Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says]." ''National Geographic News'', National Geographic Society, February 28, 2007. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>

=== Magnetosphere ===
Mars has a very weak magnetic field. Data from various missions has established an upper limit of 2.1 * 1018 N-m/T on the [[magnetic dipole moment]] of Mars. According to [[Russell Humphreys]]'s model of the creation of magnetic fields, Mars probably had a magnetic dipole moment ''at creation'' of 1.51 * 1023 N-m/T. Thus Mars's magnetic field has been decaying very rapidly. This tremendous decay, and the presence on [[Mercury]] of a magnetic field of significant strength, baffles [[astronomy|astronomers]] who have assumed that magnetic fields form on rapidly moving planets that have conductive and liquid cores that can act as dynamos. In fact, Humphreys asserts that the characteristic that determines which of the [[Terrestrial Planet|terrestrial planets]] will have a persistent magnetic field is the core radius, and that the cores of all four of these planets have similar conductivities. Mercury and Earth have larger cores than do Mars and Venus. The lengths of the sidereal days on those worlds do not matter.<ref name=Humphreys/>

=== Geology ===
[[Image:MarsTopoMap-PIA02031 modest.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Topographic map of Mars.]]
There is a dichotomy on the surface of Mars; the northern hemisphere consists of low-lying volcanic plains, with the southern hemisphere consists of ancient, heavily-cratered highland plains. Mars also has two volcanic regions: Tharsis and Elysium. Within the Tharsis region is the largest volcano in the solar system, [[Olympus Mons]]. Olympus Mons is approximately 500 km across and is about the same size as the state of Arizona. Its peak is 24 km above the surrounding plains and it is surrounded by a vertical scarp 6 km high. A large canyon system, Valles Marineris, is located along the Martian equator east of the Tharsis region. Valles Marineris is 2-6km deep and 200-600km wide and approximately 4,500 km long (approximately the distance from San Francisco to Boston). The eastern part of Valles Marineris appears to have a tectonic origin, but the western part is characterized by features such as teardrop islands and longitudinal grooves, indicating it may have been formed by catastrophic flooding in the past. Such flooding may be possible under current climate conditions. Run-off channels in the cratered highland indicate a thicker atmosphere or warmer climate in the past that would have allowed water to be stable on the surface.

Recent satellite imagery has shown that Mars has a 3 kilometre deep ice cap around its polar regions. The northern polar region is surrounded by [[dune]] fields. During the Martian winter, a layer of carbon dioxide condenses at the poles and sublimates in the summer, leaving the water-ice and dust polar caps exposed. The ratio of dust to water-ice contained in the polar caps remains unknown.
[[Image:F035a72_processed.jpg|thumb|100px|left|Cydonia Mensae, home of the alleged "face on Mars."]]
Persistent rumors tell of a "face on Mars," allegedly located in the Cydonia Mensae region at coordinates 40.9°N and 9.45°W. This alleged "face" is located in the midst of several pyramids and other mountains. Prevailing opinion at NASA is that the "face" is a trick of the eye due to the unusual lighting conditions.<ref name=faq>Williams, David R. "[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planetaryfaq.html#Mars Frequently Asked Questions - Planetary - Mars]." National Space Science Data Center, [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], January 2, 2008. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>

=== Water on Mars ===
[[Image:Weeping_100.jpg|thumb|120px|right|Multiple gullies in a south-facing wall in the Gorgonum Chaos region on Mars]]
Mars cannot have liquid water on its surface. The thin atmosphere does not permit this, even during high summer on Mars. Yet the [[Mars Global Surveyor]] mission in June 2000 took photographs of gully-like formations on several precipices and crater walls on Mars. These formations tend to occur between 30° and 70° north and south latitude. Mission analysts further suggest that these formations are relatively fresh and estimate that liquid water might be found less than 500 meters beneath the surface.<ref name=msss>"[http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/june2000/ MOC Images Suggest Recent Sources of Liquid Water on Mars]." Malin Space Science Systems, June 22, 2000. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>

More recently, NASA's latest mission, the [[Phoenix lander]], has discovered what appears to be water ice very near the surface near Mars' north pole. Furthermore, analysis of a cubic meter of soil at this site reveals that the soil is far more [[alkali]]ne than expected, and has tolerable levels of salt and low levels of [[calcium]]. Investigators have even suggested that the soil might support the growth of an Earth vegetable, like [[asparagus]].<ref name=courier>"[http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23932393-5013016,00.html Scientists find soil on Mars good enough to grow asparagus]." ''The Courier Mail'', June 28, 2008. Accessed June 30, 2008.</ref>

== Life on Mars ==
The possibility that [[extraterrestrial life]] exists, or has existed, on Mars has been the subject of persistent scientific speculation for decades. The earliest speculation concerned a possible civilization on Mars,<ref name=Hamilton/> this after Percival Lowell theorized that the straight lines that several astronomers had seen on Mars were in fact artificial constructs, and specifically canals.<ref name=canals>"[http://ssed.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/canals.html The canals of Mars--historical note]." Goddard Space Flight Center, [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], n.d. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref> Lovell popularized his theory as early as 1906, and for a long time the suspicion of a non-human civilization native to Mars would find repeated expression in novels and dramatic presentations. Only with the first successful explorations of Mars would the scientific community, and the public, abandon that theory.

Current speculation concerns the possible finding of [[microbe]]s. These would be [[extremophile]]s, or microbes that survive and even grow in environments lethal to other forms of life. Direct attempts to find such life began in 1976 with the [[Viking 1]] and [[Viking 2]] landers. To date no positive sign of life on Mars has been found. The Viking landers found evidence of unexplained chemical activity, but no clear evidence of microbes. Whether the Viking landers would have been able to detect extremophiles, a concept unknown to the Viking mission planners, is unclear.<ref name=Hamilton/>

The [[astrobiology|astrobiologists]] involved with [[Project Viking]] suspect that Mars might be an inherently inhospitable environment for life. Ultraviolet light from the sun shines unchecked on Mars, on account of Mars' thin atmosphere and weak magnetic field. The soil of Mars is also very dry, and the soil has a high proportion of oxidizing agents.<ref name=Hamilton/>

== Problem for uniformitarian theories ==
The most formidable current problem that Mars poses for uniformitarians today is that its magnetic field is weak and inconsequential, while a planet (Mercury) of little more than half its weight does have a significant magnetic field. According to current theory, planets derive their magnetic fields by dynamo action. This requires fast rotation and liquid cores. Mars and Earth have comparable sidereal days, but Earth's magnetic field is strong enough to protect Earth from the [[solar wind]], while that of Mars is not. Mercury has a far longer sidereal day than Mars has, and yet Mercury has a significant magnetic field while Mars has none.

== Young Mars Creation model. ==
[[Image:Meridiani Planum.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Meridiani Planum region of Mars.]]

Discoveries by the [[Mars Excursion Rover]] ''Opportunity'' have led to a Young Mars Creation model of Martian geology. These discoveries combine with data from the rest of Mars to indicate a massive Martian catastrophe.

Since ''Opportunity'' landed in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars it has sent back findings showing that the area was once underwater and that the water was vary acidic. This high concentration of [[sulfuric acid]] militates against this being a habitable sea. The entire Meridiani Planum region has much evidence of catastrophic flooding, including a clear inlet channel to the southeast and a splash zone in the north.

Mars contains the largest of three major geologic features in the Solar System. The largest impact basin, the largest volcanoes and the largest canyon are all found on Mars and in a clear relationship to each other. This relationship provides the key to understanding Martian geology.

[[Image:Mars topography.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Mars' global topography, and the relationship between the Hellas impact basin and the Tharsis volcanoes.]]Mars’ largest impact basin is called Hellas. As shown in the topography map, on exactly the other side of Mars from Hellas is Mount Alba Patera, the largest volcano by surface area. This antipodal juxtaposition suggests that the Hellas impact caused the eruptions of Alba Patera and the volcanoes of the Tharsis plateau to the south and southwest. To the east is found the gigantic rift valley called Valles Marineris.

These relationships indicate a major geologic catastrophe on Mars resulting in massive volcanic activity. The dating of this event from craters places it at about the time of the [[Great Flood]] on [[Earth]]. This volcanic activity would have increased Mars’s atmospheric pressure to allow liquid water to flow on the surface and thus allow the flooding of the Meridiani Planum region.

This shows that, like Earth, Mars has evidence that it is only a few thousands of years old and not 4.6 billion years old.<ref name=creager>Creager, Charles, Jr. "[http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/arj/v1/n1/mars-testament-catastrophe Mars, a Testament to Catastrophe]." ''Answers Research Journal'' 1 (2008): 89–93. Accessed September 23, 2008.</ref> However, it is not currently known why the Lord decided to plant life on Earth while making Mars uninhabitable.

== Mars in popular culture ==
Mars has figured prominently in [[science fiction]] in the Western world for more than a century.

=== The War of the Worlds ===
The first novel speculating on a civilization on Mars was ''The War of the Worlds'' by [[H. G. Wells]], in 1897. Wells' Martians had a military strength that human civilization could not match, but ultimately perished after contracting various [[infectious disease]]s caused by microbes native to Earth to which the Martians effectively had no defense.

In 1938, actor/director [[Orson Welles]] and his Mercury Theater produced a [[radio]] drama based on this novel. Welles updated the novel to his own period but otherwise remained faithful to the source material. The broadcast created such a panic in the [[United States]] that Welles was compelled to order a broadcast disclaimer in mid-show and, at the end of the show, personally assure his listeners that no such thing as an extraterrestrial invasion had taken place.<ref name=Hamilton/>

H. G. Wells' novel would inspire two [[motion picture]] projects and one [[television]] series.

=== Other speculations on civilizations ===
Author [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]] published several novels speculating on an elaborate civilization on Mars to which humans traveled, but which was not bent on invading the earth. Author [[C. S. Lewis]], in his novel ''Out of the Silent Planet'', envisioned Mars as the home of three races of non-fallen beings that were instructed to regard the earth as off-limits on account of man's [[fall of man|fallen nature]].

With the abandonment of the Lowell canal theory, science fiction authors and dramatists envisioned Mars as home to a human colony. But at least one motion-picture producer saw Mars as a place that very ancient [[astronaut]]s had once visited. These astronauts, according to this scenario, left behind some advanced equipment that a human rebel was subsequently able to use to give Mars a breathable atmosphere and thus facilitate the Martian colony's liberation from the civilization of earth, which in the story had become venal and tyrannical.

=== Speculation on microbes ===
Authors [[John B. Olson]] and [[Randall S. Ingermanson]] have recently speculated (''[[Oxygen (novel)|Oxygen]]'' and ''[[The Fifth Man]]'') about the finding of microbes on Mars, and the implications that such a discovery would hold for the [[Christianity|Christian]] faith and the possible "back-contamination" of the earth when the crew that found the microbes returned to earth.

== Observation and exploration ==
Observation of Mars has been ongoing since the ancients noted its existence and its movements. The invention of the telescope provoked the first serious study of Mars as a celestial object, and not a prophetic sign. Yet not all of this observation led to proper inferences. Percival Lowell's canal theory would lead to more than half a century of vain speculation on extraterrestrial civilization before the first successful exploratory missions would return evidence forcing the abandonment of that theory.

Mars has been the subject of more attempts to explore it, and more failures, than any other planet. Of approximately 37 separate missions to Mars, only 13 have had any success. The planetary scientists of the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]], so successful in exploring [[Venus]], experienced ten mission failures before achieving their first success, seven years after the [[United States]] achieved success with its [[Mariner 4]] mission. That Soviet mission, [[Mars 3]] in 1971, succeeded in placing a lander on Mars, but the lander's system transmitted for only 20 seconds before failing.

In 1975, [[Project Viking]] achieved the most notable success by placing two orbiters and two landers on Mars. Neither nation would attempt any further missions to Mars until 1988, when the Soviets lost one craft en route and lost contact with the other ([[Phobos 2]] seconds after its rendezvous with Mars's inner [[moon]] [[Phobos]]. Nor was the United States' program immune to failure; its ''Mars Observer'' vessel was lost prior to arrival after some propulsion systems failed.<ref name=faq/>

In 1996 the [[Mars Global Surveyor]] enjoyed the most success to date, returning more images than all previous missions combined. In that same year, the United States landed the first mobile explorer, or "rover," called the [[Mars Pathfinder]].

The United States would, unfortunately, lose the next two successive craft that it sent to Mars. But its [[Mars Odyssey]] would arrive intact in 2001 and send back the first high-resolution images. Two years later the [[European Space Agency]] would successfully place its [[Mars Express]] orbiter in the Martian system; sadly, its associated landing craft would crash-land. The Mars Express orbiter continues in orbit around Mars.<ref name=esa>"[http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/ Mars Express home page]." European Space Agency. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>

[[Image:Mcmurdopan_spirit_big.jpg|thumb|left|150px||360 degree panorama from mars rover ''Spirit''.]]
The most successful missions to date have been the Mars Excursion Rover missions. Two of these sophisticated mobile robots, named ''Spirit'' and ''Opportunity'', launched in 2003 and arrived safely on Mars about six months later, on opposite sides of the planet. They have been running for four years now, at least fifteen times longer than they were warranted to run. The Opportunity rover has been taking pictures of the Victoria Crater, and Spirit has been photographing the Esperanza formation which contains "vesicular" basalt (characterized by multiple cavities representing dissolved gas escaping from solution during a volcanic eruption).<ref name=David>David, Leonard. "[http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/061228_rovers_update.html Mars Rovers: On the Roll to New Targets]." ''Space.com'' December 28, 2006. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>

On May 26, 2008, NASA placed a polar lander on Mars for the first time: the [[Phoenix lander]]. As of June 28, 2008, the Phoenix lander is functioning well and has already discovered water ice where it landed. Contrary to prior understandings, the Phoenix lander has found an alkaline soil that might be suitable for growing Earth vegetables.

At least one non-governmental group, calling itself the Mars Society, has been actively studying technologies appropriate to send a crew of from four to six astronauts to Mars for a roughly two-year stay.<ref name=marssoc>[http://www.marssociety.org/portal The Mars Society] global and USA portal. Accessed May 27, 2008.</ref>

==Satellites==
Mars has two moons: [[Phobos]] and [[Deimos]] (which respectively mean "Fear and "Panic" in [[Greek]]). Russian scientists in the 1950s posited that Phobos might be hollow, but these claims were discredited in the late 1960s.

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== Related Links ==
* [http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/log/ NASA Historical Log: Missions to Mars]
* [http://www.space.com/mars/ Space.com] All About Mars
* [http://www.google.com/mars/ Google Mars], an interactive topographical map
* [http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/mars.html Mars: the Red Planet] by Starchild, an educational service of NASA.
* [http://www.war-of-the-worlds.org/ War of the Worlds] commemorative site.

*[http://www.solarviews.com/eng/terms.htm Glossary]

{{solarsystem}}
[[Category:Mars]]

Solar System

2009-03-23T13:45:48Z

DemetriusN: /* Dwarf Planets */ Haumea added

The '''Solar System''' includes the [[Sun]] and all the objects in orbit around the sun.<ref>Freedman, Kaufmann: ''Universe'', 7th edition</ref> Objects orbiting the sun include planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.

==Planets==
A [[planet]] is defined as an object that orbits the [[sun]], is massive enough that its own gravity pulls it into a nearly round shape, and is dominant enough to clear away objects in its neighborhood. <ref>http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/planetsf-20060824.html</ref> There are 8 planets in the solar system. They are, in order of increasing distance from the sun:<ref>The third grade</ref>
*[[Mercury]]
*[[Venus]]
*[[Earth]]
*[[Mars]]
*[[Jupiter]]
*[[Saturn]]
*[[Uranus]]
*[[Neptune]]

The first four planets are [[terrestrial planet]]s, the last 4 planets are [[jovian planet]]s. Terrestrial planets are small in size, have high densities, and consist of rocky materials. Jovian planets are large in size, have low densities, and consist of gaseous materials.

==Dwarf Planets==
A [[dwarf planet]] is an object that orbits the sun and has a round shape. The crucial difference between a planet and a dwarf planet is that a dwarf planet is not large enough to clear the neighborhood of its orbit. Currently recognized dwarf planets are:<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/dwarf-planet</ref>
*[[Pluto]][[#Note|[1]]]
*[[Eris]]
*[[Ceres]]
*[[Makemake]]
*[[Haumea]]

===Note===
[1]Pluto was considered a planet until 2006.<ref>http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/261408.html</ref>

==Asteroids==
[[Asteroid]]s are irregularly shaped chunks of rocks in the solar system. They exist mostly in 2 places:

*The [[asteroid belt]], which is between the orbits of [[Mars]] and [[Jupiter]]
*The [[Kuiper belt]], which shares its orbit with [[Pluto]]

==Comets==
[[Comets]] are chunks of dust and ice. Some are in an [[ellipse|elliptical]] orbit around the sun, meaning that they will return someday. Some are in a [[hyperbola|hyperbolic]] orbit around the sun, meaning that they will only come into the solar system once and will never return.

== External links ==

*[http://www.solarviews.com/eng/terms.htm Glossary]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Astronomy]]
{{Solarsystem}}

Solar System

2009-03-23T13:43:47Z

DemetriusN: /* Dwarf Planets */ further dwarf planet Makemake

The '''Solar System''' includes the [[Sun]] and all the objects in orbit around the sun.<ref>Freedman, Kaufmann: ''Universe'', 7th edition</ref> Objects orbiting the sun include planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.

==Planets==
A [[planet]] is defined as an object that orbits the [[sun]], is massive enough that its own gravity pulls it into a nearly round shape, and is dominant enough to clear away objects in its neighborhood. <ref>http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/planetsf-20060824.html</ref> There are 8 planets in the solar system. They are, in order of increasing distance from the sun:<ref>The third grade</ref>
*[[Mercury]]
*[[Venus]]
*[[Earth]]
*[[Mars]]
*[[Jupiter]]
*[[Saturn]]
*[[Uranus]]
*[[Neptune]]

The first four planets are [[terrestrial planet]]s, the last 4 planets are [[jovian planet]]s. Terrestrial planets are small in size, have high densities, and consist of rocky materials. Jovian planets are large in size, have low densities, and consist of gaseous materials.

==Dwarf Planets==
A [[dwarf planet]] is an object that orbits the sun and has a round shape. The crucial difference between a planet and a dwarf planet is that a dwarf planet is not large enough to clear the neighborhood of its orbit. Currently recognized dwarf planets are:<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/dwarf-planet</ref>
*[[Pluto]][[#Note|[1]]]
*[[Eris]]
*[[Ceres]]
*[[Makemake]]

===Note===
[1]Pluto was considered a planet until 2006.<ref>http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/261408.html</ref>

==Asteroids==
[[Asteroid]]s are irregularly shaped chunks of rocks in the solar system. They exist mostly in 2 places:

*The [[asteroid belt]], which is between the orbits of [[Mars]] and [[Jupiter]]
*The [[Kuiper belt]], which shares its orbit with [[Pluto]]

==Comets==
[[Comets]] are chunks of dust and ice. Some are in an [[ellipse|elliptical]] orbit around the sun, meaning that they will return someday. Some are in a [[hyperbola|hyperbolic]] orbit around the sun, meaning that they will only come into the solar system once and will never return.

== External links ==

*[http://www.solarviews.com/eng/terms.htm Glossary]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Astronomy]]
{{Solarsystem}}

Essay:Liberal Falsehoods

2009-03-23T13:41:01Z

DemetriusN: spelling

A major [[liberal]] falsehood of the mid-20th century was that intelligent life in outer space ''must'' exist, and that America should spend billions looking for it. This falsehood had political overtones in favor of nuclear disarmament, [[globalism]], [[environmentalism]], [[government spending]] and [[atheism]]. Political and Atheist leaders who supported research into extraterrestrial life, or were strong advocates that intelligent life ''must'' exist in outer space were:

[[Jimmy Carter]]
 [[Adolf Hitler]]
 [[Carl Sagan]]

Belief in ET's is as strong among atheists and materialists as the belief in angels and departed saints by religious believers.

==Message from Jimmy Carter==

Of the 200 million stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some – perhaps many – may have inhabited planets and spacefaring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message:

"This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. [http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=555]

== Other Liberal Falsehoods ==

*[[Population Bomb]]
*[[Theory of evolution]]
*[[Global Warming]]

[[Category:Essays about Liberals]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]

Skepdic

2009-03-22T23:44:40Z

DemetriusN: adding that it misses global warming & evolution from the junk science category

'''Skepdic''' is The Skeptic's dictionary. It is a collection of "cross-referenced" skeptical essays by Robert Todd Carroll, published on his website skepdic.com and in a printed book. The skepdic.com site was launched in 1994 and the book was published in 2003 with less than 400 entries. In the last five years the website has grown to more than 500 entries.

== Robert Todd Carroll ==
Robert Todd Carrroll the author of Skepdic considers himself a militant [[atheist]] and hardened skeptic.

== Contents ==
The categories in skepdic are alternative medicine, cryptozoology, ETs and UFOs, frauds and hoaxes, junk science<ref>However, clearly false theories such as global warming and evolution are left out</ref>, logic and perception, new age, paranormal, science and philosophy and supernatural. The website also contains articles attacking Biblical history such as [[Noah's Ark]].

==See also==
{{Nb Atheism}}

==Notes==
<references/>

== External Links ==
*[http://www.skepdic.com Skepdic The Skeptic's Dictionary]

Skepdic

2009-03-22T23:42:02Z

DemetriusN: /* Contents */ sp

'''Skepdic''' is The Skeptic's dictionary. It is a collection of "cross-referenced" skeptical essays by Robert Todd Carroll, published on his website skepdic.com and in a printed book. The skepdic.com site was launched in 1994 and the book was published in 2003 with less than 400 entries. In the last five years the website has grown to more than 500 entries.

== Robert Todd Carroll ==
Robert Todd Carrroll the author of Skepdic considers himself a militant [[atheist]] and hardened skeptic.

== Contents ==
The categories in skepdic are alternative medicine, cryptozoology, ETs and UFOs, frauds and hoaxes, junk science, logic and perception, new age, paranormal, science and philosophy and supernatural. The website also contains articles attacking Biblical history such as [[Noah's Ark]].

==See also==
{{Nb Atheism}}

== External Links ==
*[http://www.skepdic.com Skepdic The Skeptic's Dictionary]

Skeptics Annotated Bible

2009-03-22T23:41:06Z

DemetriusN: /* Contents */ re-word

The '''Skeptics Annotated Bible''' is an online text of the [[Bible]] containing annotations intended for skeptics and [[atheism|atheists]]. It is edited by Steve Wells, and also contains an annotated [[Quran]] and [[Book of Mormon]].

== Contents ==
The ''Skeptics Annotated Bible'' contains the text of the Bible (King James version), with comments alongside many of the Bible verses. Most of these comments are designed to draw attention to alleged absurdities and inconsistencies in the text, according to the clearly atheistic and so biased viewpoint of the authors. The areas of perceived difficulties are broken down into various 'tags'.

Each comment or flag of a particular passage is designed to repeat the simple question, "if this book is the spoken word of God, would this be in it?", yet without taking into account the cultural context in which it was written.

==Refutation==

The Skeptics Annotated Bible includes many claims which have long since been refuted.
For example, it repeats the claim that {{Bible ref|1_Kings|7:23}} has the wrong value for [[pi]] (the Bible doesn't; see [[pi#Does the Bible attempt to define pi?|here]]), and an associated link goes to an external page wherein a blogger quotes a brief Internet conversation wherein one person asks how the Bible could be right and the respondent gives a silly reply.

The founder of [[Christian apologetics]] site [[Tektonics]] has described the quality of argument of the Skeptics Annotated Bible (SAB) as follows:
{{QuoteBox|Editorial commentary in the form of pictures and one-sentence comments are not arguments. SAB is the internet equivalent to a brick wall scribbled with graffiti, or arguing by saying, "nanny nanny boo boo." It performs no analysis of the social background, the literary data, or context. It is merely "instant reaction" from angry Skeptics, and that sort of arguing isn't arguing at all. ... By estimate perhaps 40-50% of SAB's comments are either "argument by outrage" or places where SAB takes moral offense, usually against a cultural norm. ... SAB also demonstrates the sort of provincialism we would expect of the impenetrably ignorant, as for example, they will insert a "laughing head" icon next to verses which describe some Bible social custom with which they are unfamiliar. Imagine what kind of credibility someone would deserve if they read a history of feudal Japan and put a "laughing head" next to descriptions of people taking their shoes off before they enter a home. That is the level of ignorance to which SAB regularly stoops."<ref>James Patrick Holding [http://www.tektonics.org/sab/sab.html ''Commentary on the Skeptics' Annotated Bible'']</ref>}}

==See also==
*[[Atheism]]
*[[Bible]]
{{Nb Atheism}}

== External Links ==
*[http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/ Skeptics Annotated Bible]
*[http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/christian.html Christian responses to Skeptic's Annotated Bible]

==References==
{{reflist|small}}
[[Category:Bible]]

Liverpool F.C.

2009-03-22T23:19:12Z

DemetriusN: /* History */ re-wording

'''Liverpool F.C.''' is a [[British]] [[soccer]] team currently playing in the [[English Premier League]]. It is based in Anfield stadium, although is expected to relocate to Stanley Park in 2011. It is considered one of the Big Four of British football, along with [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], and [[Manchester United]], however, the club has become the most successful club in English league history, winning eighteen League titles as well as five European cups. The current manager is Rafael Benitez and is sponsored by Carlsberg. The Club's most bitter rivalries are with Everton, Manchester United and Chelsea.

==History==
The club was founded in 1892 after a dispute between the owner of the Anfield Road ground, John Houlding, and the team that was the tenant, [[Everton F.C.]]. Everton built and occupied their own ground, Goodison Park, leaving Houlding with an unproductive and vacant Anfield. Houlding began Liverpool F.C. to utilise his asset. The Club's first ever manager was an Irishman, John McKenna. McKenna brought in a lot of players to the club, many of them from Scotland. Under his supervision it was promoted twice: first from the Lancaster League to the Second Division, and then to First Divisions. He also worked with Houlding to develop Anfield and expand its capacity. The club won its first League title in 1900-01.

==Roster==
===Goalkeepers===
*1 Diego Cavalieri
*25 Pepe Reina
*30 Charles Itandje
*41 Martin Hansen
*42 Peter Gulacsi

===Defenders===
*2 Andrea Dossena
*4 Sami Hyypia
*5 Daniel Agger
*12 Fabio Aurelio
*17 Alvaro Arbeloa
*22 Emiliano Insua
*23 Jamie Carragher
*27 Philipp Degen
*32 Stephen Darby
*34 Martin Kelly
*36 Steven Irwin
*37 Martin Skrtel

===Midfielders===
*8 [[Steven Gerrard]]
*11 Albert Riera
*14 Xabi Alonso
*15 [[Yossi Benayoun]]
*16 Jermaine Pennant
*19 Ryan Babel
*20 Javier Mascherano
*21 Lucas Leiva
*26 Jay Spearing
*28 Damien Plessis
*35 Ryan Flynn

===Strikers===
*7 Robbie Keane
*9 [[Fernando Torres]]
*10 Andriy Voronin
*18 Dirk Kuyt
*24 David Ngog
*29 Krisztian Nemeth
*31 Nabil El Zhar
*38 Craig Lindfield
*39 Nathan Eccleston

==Notable Former Players==
*ST [[Michael Owen]]

==Honors==
'''League Champions - 18''' : 1900-01 1905-06 1921-22 1922-23 1946-47 1963-64 1965-66 1972-73 1975-76 1976-77 1978-79 1979-80 1981-82 1982-83 1983-84 1985-86 1987-88 1989-90

'''Football Association Cup Winners - 7''' : 1964-65 1973-74 1985-86 1988-89 1991-92 2000-01 2005-06

'''League Cup Winners - 7''' : 1980-81 1981-82 1982-83 1983-84 1994-95 2000-01 2002-03

'''Football Association Charity Shield Winners - 15''' : 1964* 1965* 1966 1974 1976 1977* 1979 1980 1982 1986* 1988 1989 1990* 2001 2006 
(* shared)

'''European Cup Winners - 5''' : 1976-77 1977-78 1980-81 1983-84 2004-05

'''UEFA Cup Winners - 3''' : 1972-73 1975-76 2000-01

'''European Super Cup Winners - 3 ''' : 1977 2001 2005

'''Super Cup Winners - 1''' : 1985-86'

{{Nb sl english premier}}
[[Category:UK soccer]]
[[Category:Premier League Teams]]

Chelsea F.C.

2009-03-22T23:17:16Z

DemetriusN: adding owner Roman Abramovich

'''Chelsea F.C.''' is a [[British]] [[football]] club playing in [[London]]. The team has a winning history in the [[English Premier League]], winning in 2004-05 and 2005-06. The team is known as one of the "Big Four" of the Premiership, along with [[Arsenal F.C.]], [[Liverpool F.C.]], and [[Manchester United]]. Chelsea has been considered the "[[New York Yankees|Yankees]] of British Football", meaning that you either love or hate them, there being no middle ground. The team is owned by Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich, is managed by Russia head coach Guus Hiddink, and is sponsored by [[Samsung]].

==History==
Chelsea was formed in 1905 and placed in the Second Division. However, their first trophy came exactly fifty years later, when they won the 1955 league title under the leadership of Ted Drake. Soon after their FA Cup win in 1970, however, the team fell to the Second Division. They climbed back up in 1984 for four years, but in 1989 they returned to Division One and have remained since. Some of the club's greatest successes, however, came under the leadership of [[Ruud Gullit]], now the manager of [[MLS]]'s [[Los Angeles Galaxy]], who won their two Premiership titles.

==Roster==
===Goalkeepers===
*1 [[Petr Cech]]
*23 Carlo Cudicini
*40 Henrique Hilario
===Defenders===
*2 Branislav Ivanovic
*3 [[Ashley Cole]]
*6 Ricardo Carvalho
*17 Jose Bosingwa
*19 Paulo Ferreira
*26 John Terry
*33 Alex
*35 Juliano Belletti
*42 Michael Mancienne
===Midfielders===
*5 Michael Essien
*8 Frank Lampard
*10 Joe Cole
*12 John Mikel Obi
*13 [[Michael Ballack]]
*15 Florent Malouda
*20 [[Deco]]
*27 Mineiro
*44 Michael Woods
*46 Jimmy Smith
*47 Lee Sawyer
===Strikers===
*9 Franco Di Santo
*11 [[Didier Drogba]]
*21 Salomon Kalou
*39 Nicolas Anelka
*43 Miroslav Stoch

==Notable Former Players==
*DF [[Gary Locke]]

==Sources==
http://www.premierleague.com/page/chelsea-fc

{{nb sl english premier}}
[[Category:Soccer teams]]
[[Category:Premier League Teams]]

Arsenal F.C.

2009-03-22T23:14:52Z

DemetriusN: /* Historyhttp://www.123football.com/clubs/england/arsenal/index.htm */ 1988-9 AFC won the League, not League Cup

[[Image:Arsenal FC.jpg |thumb|200px|Club badge]]
'''Arsenal F.C.''' is one of the most successful British soccer clubs in history, having won 13 league championships, 3 of which are [[Premier League]] titles.<ref>http://www.123football.com/clubs/england/arsenal/index.htm</ref> They have also won nine FA Cups<ref>http://www.123football.com/clubs/england/arsenal/index.htm</ref>. They are one of the Big Four of British soccer, along with [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], [[Manchester United]], and [[Liverpool]]. They currently play at the Emirates Stadium, having moved from Highbury after the end of the 2005-06 season.<ref>http://www.123football.com/clubs/england/arsenal/index.htm</ref>

==History<ref>http://www.123football.com/clubs/england/arsenal/index.htm</ref>==
Arsenal was founded in 1886 as Dial Square F.C., changing to Woolwich Arsenal, Royal Arsenal, and back to Woolwich Arsenal. They played in the second division from 1893-1904, when they were promoted to the first division. They went down again from 1913-1919, but they have stayed in England's top division since then. They changed their name to The Arsenal during that last stint in the second division. Managed by Herbert Chapman, they won three FA cups and dropped the "The" from their name, becoming just "Arsenal F.C.".

After his unexpected death, George Allison came in and guided them to three consecutive League titles. After [[World War II]], several players had their carreers cut short by either death or injury. Allison resigned and was replaced by Tom Whitaker. Whitaker enjoyed instant success, winning two league titles and an FA cup. After the second league title, the team went through a sixteen year drought, which covered three coaches.

In the 1970s, the club was led through a difficult period of obscurity. However, under Terry Neill, they went to three straight FA Cup finals, winning the 1979 Cup over Manchester United. However, another poor period led them through the first half of the 1980s.

In the 1985-86 season, enter George Graham, a former Arsenal player and Millwall manager. Under his leadership, of which fans still talk about with total fondness, they secured the 1988-89 English League championship at the last moment against Liverpool. In 1993, the team doubled up, winning the FA Cup and League Cup, both over Sheffield Wednesday. After his retirement, however, several new coaches came and failed to meet expectations, even with such players as [[Goalkeeper]] [[David Seaman]] and famed [[Dutch]] [[striker]] [[Dennis Bergkamp]].

Now, under Arsene Wenger, the team won their three Premiership titles. Wenger is now considered one of the best managers that the team has ever had. Arsenal continues to look for success, even after the departure for star striker [[Thierry Henry]] to [[FC Barcelona]]. Currently, their sponsor is Fly Emirates, the national airline of the [[UAE]].

At present, Arsenal has a reputation of buying in players with a lot of potential when they are young, before they are fully recognised as great players. Arsene Wenger and his scouts have 'made' a lot of great players. A good example is Thierry Henry, who before he came to Arsenal played as a winger with mixed success. Wenger, however, saw he had potential as a striker and Thierry Henry is now considered the greatest striker in the world.

Recently, Arsenal had received a lot of criticism for relying so heavily on young, unexperienced players, with their title rivals claiming they are unable to cope throughout the whole season.

==Roster==
===Goalkeepers===
*1 Manuel Almunia
*21 [[Lukasz Fabianski]]
*24 Vito Mannone

===Defenders===
*3 Bacary Sagna
*5 [[Kolo Toure]]
*6 Phillipe Senderos
*10 William Gallas
*17 Alexandre Song
*18 [[Mikael Silvestre]]
*20 Johan Djourou
*22 Gael Clichy
*30 Armand Traore

===Midfielders===
*2 Abou Diaby
*4 [[Cesc Fabregas]]
*7 Tomas Rosicky
*8 Samir Nasri
*15 [[Denilson]]
*16 Aaron Ramsey
*19 Jack Wilshere
*23 Andrey Arshavin
*27 Emmanuel Eboue
*28 Amaury Bischoff

===Strikers===
*9 [[Eduardo]]
*11 Robin Van Persie
*12 Carlos Vela
*14 Theo Walcott
*25 Emmanuel Adebayor
*26 Nicklas Bendtner

==Notable Former Players==
*GK [[David Seaman]]
*GK [[Jens Lehmann]]
*MF [[Ashley Cole]]
*ST [[Thierry Henry]]
*ST [[Dennis Bergkamp]]

==Honors==

'''League Champions - 13''' : 1930-31 1932-33 1933-34 1934-35 1937-38 1947-48 1952-53 1970-71 1988-89 1990-91 1997-98 2001-02 2003-04

'''Football Association Cup Winners - 9''' : 1930 1936 1950 1971 1979 1993 1998 2002 2003

'''League Cup Winners - 2''' : 1987 1993

'''UEFA Cup Winners - 1''' : 1970

'''European Cup Winners' Cup - 1 ''' : 1994

==References==
<references/>

{{Nb sl english premier}}
[[Category: Soccer teams]]
[[Category: Premier League Teams]]

Manchester United F.C.

2009-03-22T23:11:15Z

DemetriusN: link for calls for Christians to boycott

'''Manchester United F.C.''' is a [[British]] [[soccer]] team playing in the [[English Premier League]]. Manchester United play in red shirts, white shorts and black socks. They were the first English club to win the European Cup, in 1968, winning again in 1999 and 2008. The club joined the Football League in 1892 under the name Newton Heath. Their official nickname is the "Red Devils" and the club badge features a small red devil holding a trident, which has led to calls for Christians to boycott them<ref>[http://www.joinmust.org/forum/showthread.php?t=33916 Devil a Logo Area for Reds] Join Must</ref>. They are known to their fans either as Man U, Man United or just United. In 2005 the club was taken over by the American billionaire, Malcolm Glazer. After two seasons with little success by their standards they won the Barclays Premier League again in 2007 and 2008. The club is noted for the exeptionally cosmopolitan nature of it's support, regulary drawing large numbers of fans from all over the the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. As a result it is consistently the most supported team in England, not to mention abroad. They have a prominant place in the Big Four of British Football, the other three being [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], and [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]. However, the Devils have been considered, along with Chelsea, the "[[New York Yankees|Yankees]]" of the Premiership, meaning that you either love or hate them. The Club maintains bitter rivalries with Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal. The team is managed by Sir Alex Ferguson and is sponsered by [[AIG]].

At present, the club currently possesses Christiano Ronaldo, who is acknowledeged as the greatest player in the world at present.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6561341.stm</ref>

==Roster==
===Goalkeepers===
*1 [[Edwin Van Der Sar]]
*12 Ben Foster
*29 Tomasz Kuszczak
*38 Ron-Robert Zieler
*40 Ben Amos
===Defenders===
*2 [[Gary Neville]]
*3 Patrice Evra
*5 Rio Ferdinand
*6 Wes Brown
*15 Nemanja Vidic
*20 Fabio
*21 Rafael
*22 John O'Shea
*23 Jonny Evans
*25 Danny Simpson
*36 David Gray
*37 Craig Cathcart
*39 James Chester
*42 Richard Eckersley
===Midfielders===
*4 Owen Hargreaves
*7 [[Cristiano Ronaldo]]
*11 [[Ryan Giggs]]
*13 Ji-Sung Park
*14 Zoran Tosic
*16 Michael Carrick
*17 Nani
*18 [[Paul Scholes]]
*24 Darren Fletcher
*28 Darron Gibson
*30 Lee Martin
*33 Sam Hewson
*34 Rodrigo Possebon
*35 Tom Cleverley
===Strikers===
*8 Anderson
*9 Dimitar Berbatov
*10 [[Wayne Rooney]]
*19 Danny Welbeck
*26 Manucho
*31 Fraizer Campbell
*32 Carlos Tevez
*41 Federico Macheda
*45 Febian Brandy

==Notable former players==
*GK [[Fabian Barthez]]
*MF [[David Beckham]]
*ST [[Ruud Van Nielstrooy]]

==References==
<References/>

{{nb sl english premier}}
[[Category:UK soccer]]
[[Category:Soccer teams]]
[[Category:Premier League Teams]]

Manchester United F.C.

2009-03-22T23:05:38Z

DemetriusN: it's a red devil, not black!

'''Manchester United F.C.''' is a [[British]] [[soccer]] team playing in the [[English Premier League]]. Manchester United play in red shirts, white shorts and black socks. They were the first English club to win the European Cup, in 1968, winning again in 1999 and 2008. The club joined the Football League in 1892 under the name Newton Heath. Their official nickname is the "Red Devils" and the club badge features a small red devil holding a trident. They are known to their fans either as Man U, Man United or just United. In 2005 the club was taken over by the American billionaire, Malcolm Glazer. After two seasons with little success by their standards they won the Barclays Premier League again in 2007 and 2008. The club is noted for the exeptionally cosmopolitan nature of it's support, regulary drawing large numbers of fans from all over the the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. As a result it is consistently the most supported team in England, not to mention abroad. They have a prominant place in the Big Four of British Football, the other three being [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]], and [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]. However, the Devils have been considered, along with Chelsea, the "[[New York Yankees|Yankees]]" of the Premiership, meaning that you either love or hate them. The Club maintains bitter rivalries with Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal. The team is managed by Sir Alex Ferguson and is sponsered by [[AIG]].

At present, the club currently possesses Christiano Ronaldo, who is acknowledeged as the greatest player in the world at present.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6561341.stm</ref>

==Roster==
===Goalkeepers===
*1 [[Edwin Van Der Sar]]
*12 Ben Foster
*29 Tomasz Kuszczak
*38 Ron-Robert Zieler
*40 Ben Amos
===Defenders===
*2 [[Gary Neville]]
*3 Patrice Evra
*5 Rio Ferdinand
*6 Wes Brown
*15 Nemanja Vidic
*20 Fabio
*21 Rafael
*22 John O'Shea
*23 Jonny Evans
*25 Danny Simpson
*36 David Gray
*37 Craig Cathcart
*39 James Chester
*42 Richard Eckersley
===Midfielders===
*4 Owen Hargreaves
*7 [[Cristiano Ronaldo]]
*11 [[Ryan Giggs]]
*13 Ji-Sung Park
*14 Zoran Tosic
*16 Michael Carrick
*17 Nani
*18 [[Paul Scholes]]
*24 Darren Fletcher
*28 Darron Gibson
*30 Lee Martin
*33 Sam Hewson
*34 Rodrigo Possebon
*35 Tom Cleverley
===Strikers===
*8 Anderson
*9 Dimitar Berbatov
*10 [[Wayne Rooney]]
*19 Danny Welbeck
*26 Manucho
*31 Fraizer Campbell
*32 Carlos Tevez
*41 Federico Macheda
*45 Febian Brandy

==Notable former players==
*GK [[Fabian Barthez]]
*MF [[David Beckham]]
*ST [[Ruud Van Nielstrooy]]

==References==
<References/>

{{nb sl english premier}}
[[Category:UK soccer]]
[[Category:Soccer teams]]
[[Category:Premier League Teams]]

User talk:DemetriusN

2009-03-22T22:01:08Z

DemetriusN: intro

You can contact me here.

I'll respond to any questions/queries ASAP.

User:DemetriusN

2009-03-22T22:00:22Z

DemetriusN: intro

Hi Conservapedia

I aim to help out on this website to promote the truth about the world.

Please forgive the British spellings...