| Mars is the fourth closest
planet to the Sun. It is larger than Mercury, but only
half the size of Earth.
Mars if often called the
"Red Planet" because it appears red when
looking at it through a telescope.
Mars has a thin atmosphere, with water, wind and
clouds. Being further from the Sun than Earth, water on
Mars is in the form of ice. There is not much air on
Mars. The air itself is mostly carbon dioxide (CO2),
not nitrogen and oxygen like Earth. |
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| Some parts of the Mars
surface is cratered like the Moon. Other parts of the
surface are more like Earth, with volcanic mountains and
large canyons.
The rocks on the surface look like
volcanic lava rock found on Earth. Martian soil is red
from oxidized iron, much like rust.
For years, people believed that their may be life on
Mars. This is because the Mars atmosphere is similar to
Earth. So far, the unmanned space missions to Mars have
not detected any signs of life. |
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