Mars is the fourth planet from the sun.  It is Earth’s nearest neighbor.  There are lots of dust storms on Mars.  Mars has a lot of a thinner surface than Earth.

     Mars appears to be red in color. Mars was named after its red color. Mars was named after the Roman god of war because its reddish color reminded him of blood. 

     Scientists believe life once existed Mars.  They are currently looking for proof.  They found a Martian rock that contains a fossil with evidence of life. The rock was part of a meteorite found in an Antarctic ice field in 1984.

Mars Facts

• Mars is half the diameter of the earth.  Because it is smaller, its gravity is weaker.
   

• A Martian day is just a few minutes longer than a day on Earth.  A Martian year is 687 Earth-days.
   

• Phobos and Deimos are Mars's two moons.
   

• Mars has 0.108 X Earth's mass.
   

• Mars is 1.52 x Earth’s distance from the sun.