Mars
Mars is the red planet.
There is a Pathfinder on Mars. The Pathfinder is a tiny wheeled vehicle that explored the surface and took pictures in 1998. It is no bigger than a microwave oven that weighs 22 lbs (10 kg).
Mars is smaller, darker and a little more distant than Venus.
Mar's reddish color led it to being named after the Roman god of war.
Mars also has 24 hour days.
In summer, the temperature is about 77° F and -184°F on winter nights.
It takes Mars 687 days to go around the sun once.
Mars is 142 million miles away from the sun.
In 1976 two space probes touched down on Mars to scoop up soil and see if there was any life, but they found out that there was no life. There is evidence showing that water once flowed down the Valley of Valles Marineris.
Mars has two tiny moons named Phobos and Deimos. They both have rocky surfaces. They are shaped like potatoes.
Mars receives less than half the heat that Earth does. The planet has seasons. Spring lasts 199 Earth days. It is 52 days longer than fall. The seasons on Mars can be seen in changes in its ice caps. The ice caps grow in winter and shrink in summer.
Animals and plants can't live on Mars.
Mars has volcanoes, lava fields, canyons, and cracks in its crust. Mars has clouds and fog.
Mars is about half the size of Earth and much colder.
Mars is a dry and dusty planet. Rust colored rocks and sand lie on the ground of Mars.
The biggest volcano is on Mars. It's called Olympus Mons. It is 375 miles across and 15 miles high.
In the 1950's the largest telescope showed that canals did not exist.
Just because Mars has no life on it does not mean that there will not be any life in the future. Mars may turn into a smaller version of Earth.
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