Named after the Roman God of war, Mars is the fourth planet from the sun in our solar system. It is the second smallest planet in the solar system after Mercury.
Mars is also known as the ‘Red Planet’ because, well, it’s red! This signature colour comes from a large amount of a chemical called iron oxide (or ‘rust’ as you might know it) in its rocks and soil.
It can get pretty cold on Mars –– much colder than our own planet, since it’s further away from the sun.
You could jump around three times higher on Mars than you can on Earth. Boing! This is because the planet’s gravity – the force that keeps us on the ground – is much weaker.
Fun Facts
One day on Mars is 24 hours and 37 minutes, almost the same length as an Earth day.
A year lasts 687 days, almost twice as long as a year on Earth.
The first spacecraft to land on Mars was the Viking Landers, which touched down on the surface in 1976.
India is the s on its only nation so far to reach Mars in the first attempt. Also, the mission (Mangalyan) is said to be the cheapest of all the missions on Mars.
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