Rocky Planet

Red-colored (Iron oxide)

Diameter: 4200 miles

Rotation: 1 day

Orbit: 687 days

Temperature Average: -81.49 degrees Fahrenheit

Moons: 2

Number from the sun: 4

Distance from the sun: 142 million miles

Atmosphere: Thin CO2

Mars is called the red planet. It is named after the Roman god of war. An astronomer named Herschel believed that people lived on Mars. He called them Martians. Once we had stronger telescopes, we realized that there were no people there. Mars has frozen water near the north and south poles. These are called polar ice caps.

In 1976, two space probes named Viking 1 and Viking 2 landed on Mars. They took pictures and tested the soil, temperature, and atmosphere there. We found that the planet was too cold for human beings, and that it has little oxygen. The greenish-gray areas of Mars are really sand and dust. It also has craters that were probably made by meteors that hit its surface. Mars also has canyons and volcanoes. Its biggest volcano is named Olympus Mons. We found out that Mars might have had water at one time. This means that it was probably warmer than it is today, and might have had life then.

Mars has two little moons, Phobos and Deimos. One day on Mars is similar to earth's, because it is 24 ½ hours long. A year is longer though, and lasts 687 earth days. Mars has weaker gravity than Earth, so people can jump higher there and will weigh less there.

Think about it: A year on Mars lasts 687 Earth days. A year on Earth is 365 days. What is the difference in number of days in a year on Mars and a year on Earth?

To learn more about Mars, visit this site:  http://www.exploratorium.edu/mars/