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Feb 15, 2024 · Learn about the history, geology, climate, and exploration of Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun. Discover how Mars is similar to and different from Earth, and why it is called the Red Planet.
Its volcanoes, impact craters, crustal movement, and atmospheric conditions such as dust storms have altered the landscape of Mars over many years, creating some of the solar system's most interesting topographical features.
- Named after the Roman God of war, Mars is the fourth planet from the sun in our solar system.
- Mars is also known as the ‘Red Planet’ because, well, it’s red! This signature colour comes from the large amount of a chemical called iron oxide (or ‘rust’ as you might know it) in its rocks and soil.
- Mars is the second smallest planet in the solar system after Mercury. With a diameter (distance through the middle) of 6,791 kilometres, it’s roughly half the size of Earth.
- It can get pretty cold on Mars –– much colder than our own planet, since it’s further away from the sun. At the equator, temperatures can reach 20°C, but at its poles they can plummet to as low as -140°C.
- Moons
- Olympus Mons
- Valles Marineris
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Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. They were discovered in 1877 by astronomer Asaph Hall, who named them for the Latin terms “fear” and “panic”. These moons are thought to be captured asteroids and are among the smallest natural satellites in the solar system.
Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system – Olympus Mons. It measures some 600 kilometres across and rises nearly 27 kilometres above the surrounding terrain. It is a shield volcano built by the continuous action of flowing lava over millions and millions of years that began some 3 billion years ago. Olympus Mons is part of a complex of volc...
The Valles Marineris is an extensive canyon system on the Mars equator. It is 4,200 kilometres long and, in places, is 7 kilometres deep. On Earth, it would span the entire North American continent and beyond. Mars has has a very primitive form of plate tectonics, and the action of two plates past each other began splitting the surface some 3.5 bil...
Learn about Mars's size, atmosphere, volcanoes, moons, seasons, and more. Find out how Mars compares to Earth and why it is called the Red Planet.
Sep 17, 2024 · Learn about Mars' structure, surface, atmosphere, moons, history, and exploration with fun facts and activities. See images and videos of the Red Planet and its features, such as dust storms, volcanoes, and canyons.
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.
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 new Perseverance rover – are serving as pathfinders to eventually get humans to the surface of the Red Planet.
