Robby Gallagher
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The surface of Mars is orange-red because it is covered in iron(III) oxide dust, giving it the nickname "the Red Planet". Mars is among the brightest objects in Earth's sky, and its high-contrast albedo features have made it a common subject for telescope viewing.
Mars is one of the easiest planets to spot in the night sky – it looks like a bright red point of light. Despite being inhospitable to humans, robotic explorers – like NASA's Perseverance rover – are serving as pathfinders to eventually get humans to the surface of the Red Planet.
- Why is Mars called the Red Planet? The bright rust color Mars is known for is due to iron-rich minerals in its regolith — the loose dust and rock covering its surface.
- Mars Q&A with an Expert. We asked David C. Agle media relations at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California which handles missions on the Martian surface such as the Perseverance Rover some questions about the Red Planet.
- Mars' surface. The planet's cold, thin atmosphere means liquid water likely cannot exist on the Martian surface for any appreciable length of time. Features called recurring slope lineae may have spurts of briny water flowing on the surface, but this evidence is disputed; some scientists argue the hydrogen spotted from orbit in this region may instead indicate briny salts.
- Mars' moons. The two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, were discovered by American astronomer Asaph Hall over the course of a week in 1877. Hall had almost given up his search for a moon of Mars, but his wife, Angelina, urged him on.
Learn about Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, and its features, history, and potential for life. Find out why Mars is called the Red Planet, how it compares to Earth, and what NASA missions have explored it.
Jul 4, 1997 · Learn about Mars, the red planet, with fun facts, images, and activities. Find out how Mars compares to Earth, what its atmosphere and surface are like, and what missions have explored it.
People also ask
Why is Mars a red planet?
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Why was the Red Planet named after a god of war?
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun – a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Mars is also a dynamic planet with seasons, polar ice caps, canyons, extinct volcanoes, and evidence that it was even more active in the past.
Learn about the red planet's history, climate, geology, and potential for life. Mars is a cold, windy world with huge volcanoes, canyons, and ice caps.
