Some Intersting Facts About the Planet Mars

The planet Mars has fascinated humans for as long as we have known about it. It has fueled endless speculation and research, as well as a pantheon of science fiction stories of Martians invading Earth.

But what are the real facts about Mars the planet? Let's take a closer look at this interesting planet that neighbors Earth.

Facts

1. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. Going in order from the sun, it is Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and then the other planets.
2. Current scientific estimates suggest that Mars is more than 4 billion years old (like the other planets in our solar system).
3. Mars the planet is named after the Roman god of war by the same name.
4. When viewed through a telescope, Mars has an overall reddish appearance. That's why it's often called the "Red Planet." The image above shows Mars as viewed by the Hubble Telescope. Note the reddish-orange appearance. View larger photo
5. The red / orange appearance is the result of the planet's soil composition. There is a lot of iron within the soil on Mars.
6. Mars has mountains and canyons that are larger than those found on Earth. The Olympus Mons, for example, is a Martian volcano believed to be the highest mountain in our entire solar system. This volcanic mountain is estimated to be 16 miles high and hundreds of miles in diameter.
7. Despite the absence of water, Mars has a mass of ice at its north pole (much like earth). It is very cold on Mars, so the ice never melts.
8. The average temperature on the planet is about 80 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit).
9. Mars has a thin atmosphere that does not hold the sun's heat as well as Earth's atmosphere does. This is one of the reasons it's so cold on Mars, as compared to our planet.
10. It is believed that water once flowed across the planet Mars as it does on Earth, carving many of the valleys and gullies that make up the surface of Mars. Water was recently found in a soil sample from the Mars Lander robot.
11. As with the other planets in our solar system, Mars moves around the sun in an oval-shaped orbit.
12. Our planet travels around the sun once every 365 days, hence the length of our calendar year. But the orbit of Mars is larger, so it takes 687 day for the red planet to travel around the sun. Thus, the Martian year consists of 687 days.
13. Mars is a smaller planet than Earth. With regard to the mass (amount of matter) on both planets, Earth is about ten times as massive.
14. The first attempts to reach Mars by spacecraft were conducted by the Soviet Union (USSR) in the 1960s. Most of these attempts failed, typically the result of the spacecraft's inability to exit Earth's orbit.
15. In 1964 the Mariner 3 (an American spacecraft) attempted a "flyby" of Mars. This attempt also failed due to mechanical error / malfunction. Later Mariner missions succeeded in getting close to the planet, taking measurements from orbit, etc.
16. In 1971 the Soviet Union sent a landing craft to the surface of Mars. The lander's braking rockets failed, which resulted in a crash landing on the planet's surface.
17. It wasn't until 1976 that a lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars. This was the Viking 1 (and later the Viking 2) of the USA.
18. In 1996 the USA sent the Pathfinder mission to the Red Planet. This mission carried a well-known surface rover called Sojourner.
19. Many craters can be seen when viewing Mars through a telescope. These craters are the result of meteoroids smashing into the planet throughout its lifetime. Meteorites do not strike Earth nearly as much because our stronger atmosphere "burns" them up before they can hit the surface. Mars has a thin atmosphere that is less successful in slowing meteorites.
20. Humans would not be able to breathe on Mars. The Red Planet's atmosphere only contains 0.13 percent oxygen. Our atmosphere is 21 percent oxygen. Carbon dioxide is the most common gas in the Martian atmosphere.
21. Mars has two small moons that were discovered in 1877. They are called Phobos and Deimos, named for the sons of the Greek god Ares. Phobos is the larger of the two moons, and it is only about 17 miles in diameter.

As we continue to explore space, we will surely learn additional facts about the planet Mars (in addition to the facts that are presented here). But for now, it is a planet with plenty of mystery left. It is also a planet that will not support human life. Nice to look at, but you wouldn't want to live there.