20 Fascinating & Fun Science Facts: Planet Mars

Why is Mars called the Red Planet?

Mars is covered in soil, rock, and dust made from iron oxide, giving it its characteristic reddish hue.

The planet is named after the Roman god of war.
Its two moons, Deimos and Phobos, are named after the horses that mythology says pulled Mars’ chariot.

Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, located about 141 million miles away.
A trip from Earth to Mars takes approximately 300 days, or about 8 months.
A Martian year is significantly longer than an Earth year, lasting 687 days (about 1.9 Earth years).
With an axial tilt of 25 degrees, Mars experiences seasons similar to those on Earth.

The atmosphere on Mars is very thin and is primarily composed of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
Because its atmosphere is too thin to effectively trap heat, Mars has extremely cold temperatures, ranging from -100℃ to 20℃.
The planet is known for violent dust storms that are powerful enough to cover the entire planet and can last for months.

Mars is a terrestrial (rocky) planet with a hard surface.
The northern hemisphere consists of mostly flat plains, while the southern hemisphere is marked by ridges and craters.
Features like channels, plains, and canyons suggest that water may have eroded the surface in the past.
It is home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in our solar system.
The Borealis Basin is the largest crater on Mars, covering 40% of the planet’s surface.
Valles Marineris, the solar system’s largest canyon, is also found on Mars.
The planet has polar ice caps, which are made of frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice).

Due to its relative proximity to Earth, Mars is the most likely planet for future human exploration.
Numerous rovers have been sent to explore the planet, successfully collecting samples and valuable data.
While no definitive evidence of life has been found, the presence of water ice means life could potentially exist beneath the surface.