Mars

Mars is one of the four "terrestrial" planets and is the fourth planet from the Sun. It also has approximately half the diameter of Earth's.

Mars

Diameter: 6,792 km
Mass: 0.107 Earths
Composition: Rocky: Silicates & metals
Atmosphere: Thin: Carbon dioxide & nitrogen
Surface Temperature: -87 to 20 °C
Year length: 686 Earth days
Day length: Approx 1 Earth day

  • Mars is often referred to as the “red planet”, due to the iron oxide (rust) strewn across its surface.
  • The red glimmer of Mars can be seen by the naked eye from Earth.
  • The 22 km high Martian mountain Olympus Mons is the highest mountain known in the Solar System.
  • The 4000 km long, 200 km wide and 7 km deep Martian canyon Valles
  • Marineris is the largest canyon known in the Solar System.
  • Mars is named after the Roman god of war.
  • The spacecraft Mariner 4 completed the first successful flyby in 1965.
  • Evidence gathered by Mars missions suggest that the planet may have once been covered in water. This was backed up by radar data collected in 2005, which revealed a large amount of water ice at both the poles. In addition, observations by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter revealed that water may flow freely on the surface during Mars’ warmer months.