Mars seems like such a mysterious, fascinating planet!
I agree! It is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in the Solar System.
Oh, I actually thought it was a large planet! There's always so much talk about life on Mars, do you think that's possible? Are there resources on the planet?
Mars has a thin atmosphere and polar ice caps which give scientists hope of finding life on Mars.
That's so cool! Does NASA still send missions to explore Mars?
impact feature. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are small and irregularly shaped. These may be captured asteroids, similar to 5261 Eureka, a Mars trojan.
There are ongoing investigations assessing the past habitability potential of Mars, as well as the possibility of extant life. Future astrobiology missions are planned, including the Mars 2020 and ExoMars rovers. Liquid water cannot exist on the surface of Mars due to low atmospheric pressure, which is less than 1% of the Earth's, except at the
Outline of Mars
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Mars:
Mars – fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. Named after the Roman god of war, it is often referred to as the "Red Planet" because the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the valleys,