So Mars is all the rage these days. Discovering additional water remnants on the red planet has everyone abuzz like never before. Adding to interest is Matt Damon’s role as a stranded astronaut in The Martian, a story of a botanist who gets left on Mars to wage war on Martian hordes, later becoming their king and repopulating the planet (I’m guessing. Haven’t seen it). So let’s visit a few fun facts about Mars, while mixing in some interesting tidbits on the guy everybody saw in The Bourne Identity (and nobody saw in Elysium).
But I tried so hard in Elysium!
- If you’re planning on taking a trip to Mars, dress warm. The average surface temperature is -81 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Matt Damon was born and raised in the warmer climate of Cambridge, Mass. He attended Harvard University, but dropped out 12 credits shy of graduating to pursue a role in the film School Ties.
Worth it.
- The land mass of Mars is about the same as Earth, despite being only about half the size. This is because the Earth is mostly covered with water, while Mars is not.
- Matt Damon’s mass got smaller by 40 pounds, as he lost the weight for a role in the film Courage Under Fire. This weight loss inflicted damage on his adrenal gland, and he had to take medication for a year and a half afterwards to recover his health fully.
- Mars is about 50 million miles from Earth, depending on the orbit patterns of each planet.
Let’s break it down.
- Matt Damon’s films have grossed around $2.8 billion (and counting), or about $56 bucks for each mile Mars is from Earth.
- Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. They are named for the Greek terms for “fear” and “panic”.
- Matt Damon has shown his two moons in such films as The Talented Mr. Ripley and Behind The Candelabra. There is no known data tracking the “fear” and “panic” this caused