What is the Planet Mars? | Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts
What is Mars like?
Mars is the 4th planet from the sun. It is a terrestrial planet, which means it has a hard rocky surface that you can walk on. The surface of Mars is dry and largely covered with red dust and rock. Seen from Earth, Mars appears to be red.
Highlights of Planet Mars:
| Moons | 2 |
| Mass | 11% of Earth |
| Diameter | 4220 miles (6792 km) |
| Year | 1.9 Earth years |
| Day | 24.6 hours |
| Average Temperature | minus 20°F (-28°C) |
| Distance from the Sun | 4th planet from the sun, 142 million miles (228 million km) |
| Type of Planet | Terrestrial (has a hard rocky surface) |
Weather on Mars
Mars often has huge dust storms with high wind speeds. These dust storms are powered by the Sun and can grow in huge proportions sending miles of dust into the atmosphere and covering much of the planet. Some storms are so big that amateur astronomers on Earth can see them.
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How does Mars compare to Earth?
In many ways, Mars is very similar to Earth. The year and date of Mars is very similar to Earth’s compared to other planets. Mars is a rocky planet just like Earth. Mars is slightly smaller than Earth, both in diameter and mass.
Unlike Earth, Mars has a very thin atmosphere consisting mainly of carbon dioxide. As a result, Mars (on average -70 degrees Fahrenheit) is much colder than on Earth.
There is evidence that free water in liquid form once existed on the surface of Mars like Earth. Perhaps there was even life on Mars billions of years ago.
How do we know about Mars?
Mars is one of the easiest planets to study from Earth. It’s pretty close, and since it’s farther from the sun than we are, it’s easy to see in the night sky. The Mariner 4 spacecraft was the first to give us close-up images of Mars in 1965. Since then, several space probes have visited Mars. The Viking 1, Viking 2 and Pathfinder landers touched down on the Martian surface and sent back images of the surface. They also analyzed the Martian soil. Mars will probably be the first planet humans set foot on.
Interesting Facts about the Planet Mars
It is named after the Roman god of war.
The Greeks called the planet “Ares” after their version of the god of war.
The two moons of Mars are called Phobos and Deimos.
Since Mars has no oceans, it has a land surface similar to that of Earth. The ancient Egyptians called Mars “Har descher” which means “red”.
A 100-pound person on Earth would weigh about 38 pounds on Mars.
Some scientists believe that Mars was once covered in water.
Mars is the second smallest planet in the solar system.