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Mars is half the size of Earth and 1/10 the weight.
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It is known as the "Red Planet" because of its golden orange color from
the large amount of iron in its soil.
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Of all the planets, Mars has long been considered the solar system's
prime candidate for harboring extraterrestrial life. We know now that this
isn't true.
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Martian air contains only about 1/1000 as much water as Earth. However,
there is evidence that an earlier, denser atmosphere may have allowed water
to flow. There are physical features closely resembling shorelines, gorges,
riverbeds and islands which suggest that great rivers once existed on the
planet.
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Mars has two moons, Phobos (means fear), which has a diameter of only
13 miles, and Deimos (means terror) which has a diameter of only 7 miles.
They are both irregularly shaped, looking more like asteroids than moons.
That is why some scientists believe that they were part of the asteroid
belt captured by Mar's gravity.**
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Mar's orbit is more oval than Earth's.
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Mars has two ice caps at its poles, just like Earth, however the composition
of the ice is different. On Earth the ice is made of water ice, while on
Mars they are composed of frozen carbon dioxide, what we know as "dry ice."
Also, the ice does not go as deep on Mars as it does on Earth. Some summers
the southern Martian ice cap totally melts.
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The Martian sky is blue like Earth's.
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Olympus Mons is Mar's biggest volcano, three times the size of Mt. Everest.
It is the largest known volcano in the solar system.
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One of the most interesting features on Mars is "The Face." Voyager
in 1976 sent back an image that looks strangely like a human face. Some
people believed that the hill that looks like a face was artificially formed.
Scientists do not believe this.
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Mars Pathfinder landed on the planet on July 4, 1997, delivering a mobile robot rover that explored the immediate vicinity.
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Mars is tilted nearly the same as Earth and so its seasons are similar.
The difference is that because Mars is farther away from the Sun, its seasons
last twice as long.
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If you were to visit Mars in the summer, you could walk on its surface.
The temperature can reach 80 degrees! You wouldn't want to be walking during
its winter, though, because temperatures can go to 207 degrees below zero!
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A day on Mars lasts 24 hours and 37 minutes, similar to Earth's, but
a year on Mars lasts 687 Earth days.
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