Mars

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun.

Named after the Roman god of war, and often described as the "Red Planet" due to its reddish appearance. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere composed primarily of carbon dioxide.

Earth has a dynamic atmosphere, which sustains Earth's surface conditions and protects it from most meteoroids and UV-light at entry. It has a composition of primarily nitrogen and oxygen. Water vapor is widely present in the atmosphere, forming clouds that cover most of the planet.

Mars Facts

  • Equatorial Diameter: 6,792 km
  • Polar Diameter: 6,752 km
  • Mass: 6.39 x 10^23 kg (0.11 Earths)
  • Moons: 2 (Phobos & Deimos)
  • Orbit Distance: 227,943,824 km (1.38 AU)
  • Orbit Period: 687 days (1.9 years)
  • Surface Temperature: -87° to -5°C
  • First Record: 2nd millennium BC
  • Recorded By: Egyptian astronomers