Mars
Mars
Mars is called the red planet because of the iron in its soil. Mars is the only planet in the night sky with a red glow. Mars has a lot of ancient river beds. Although now they are dry, these channels were once filled with flowing water. Many scientists want to know where has the water gone.
The average distance of Mars from the Sun is 228 million km ( 142 million mi. ) Mars has three different layers: first is the rocky crust, then comes a rocky mantle, and last is the iron core. Mars has two tiny potato shaped moons. Mars has some truly large features. One is Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system.
Olympus Mons from above
Like Earth, Mars has an icecap covering its North pole. Cutting across its equator like a gigantic scar is a huge canyon system called Valles Marineris. Mars also has huge dust storms that can sweep across the entire planet and last for months.
Mars and Earth have many things in common , which is why Mars is sometimes called Earths "little brother." A day on Mars is almost the same length as Earths days; Mars takes only 41 minutes longer to turn on its axis. both planets have mountains, canyons, deserts, volcanos, and polar caps and both have river beds.
For more information visit the following sites:
