The planet, Mars, has fascinated man for centuries. Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and is often called the "red planet". It is named for the Roman god of war. The planet has two moons, Phobos and Deimos.

Scientific studies of the planet have led to interesting discoveries. Johannes Kepler based his three Laws of Planetary Motion on Tycho Brahe’s study of Mars. In 1610, Galileo Galilei is thought to be the first man to view Mars through a telescope.

In the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Mariner probes provided us with pictures and data about Mars. Further information was provided by the Soviet Union’s Mars 5 probe and NASA’s Viking missions. From these studies, we have been able to determine that the planet’s surface is made up of tall, jagged hills with low, long canyons. Polar ice caps of dry ice exist on the planet. In Mars’ northern hemisphere, there are dry river channels and volcanoes. Mars has global dust storms. Winds on the surface range from 200-300 miles (321.9-482.8 km).

The 1997 Mars Pathfinder mission was particularly successful. It provided more pictures and soil analysis. In 1999, two missions to Mars ended prematurely. The Mars Climate Orbiter and the Mars Polar Lander were unable to complete their missions. Presently, there is one active spacecraft orbiting Mars. The Mars Global Surveyor is in a low altitude orbit around the planet. It is providing mapping information about Mars.

Despite recent setbacks in Mars missions, this planet will continue to intrigue mankind.

Mars Facts

Return To Top Of Page