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What Is Mars

Mars is the Fourth planet from the Sun. It is nicknamed "the Red Planet" for its orange-red appearance, readily visible from Earth.[22][23] Mars is a cold rocky desert planet with surface temperatures from −110 °C (−166 °F) to 35 °C (95 °F), and a tenuous carbon dioxide (CO2) atmosphere, which has an average surface pressure of less than a hundredth of Earth's, making the surface highly exposed to cosmic radiation. On Mars there is no liquid surface water, but water has been found in the atmosphere, forming cirrus clouds, at the polar regions as permafrost and ice caps with seasonal carbon dioxide snow, and in the ground. Its surface gravity is roughly a third of Earth's or double that of the Moon. It is half as wide as Earth, with a diameter of 6,779 km (4,212 mi), and has a surface area the size of all the dry land of Earth.

Facts About Mars

1. Mars is home to the tallest mountain in the solar system.

   Olympus Mons, a shield volcano, is 21km high and 600km in diameter. Despite having formed over billions of years, evidence from volcanic lava flows is so recent many scientists believe it could still be active.



2. Only 18 missions to Mars have been successful.

   As of September 2014 there have been 40 missions to Mars, including orbiters, landers and rovers but not counting flybys. The most recent arrivals include the Mars Curiosity mission in 2012, the MAVEN mission, which arrived on September 22, 2014, followed by the Indian Space Research Organization’s MOM Mangalyaan orbiter, which arrived on September 24, 2014. The next missions to arrive will be the European Space Agency’s ExoMars mission, comprising an orbiter, lander, and a rover, followed by NASA’s InSight robotic lander mission, slated for launch in March 2016 and a planned arrival in September, 2016.



3. Mars has the largest dust storms in the solar system.

   Scientists have found tiny traces of Martian atmosphere within meteorites violently ejected from Mars, then orbiting the solar system amongst galactic debris for millions of years, before crash landing on Earth. This allowed scientists to begin studying Mars prior to launching space missions.



4. Pieces of Mars have fallen to Earth.

   Its slow movement against the backdrop of stars earned it the nickname of “Lubadsagush” from the ancient Assyrians. The name means “oldest of the old”.



5. On Mars the Sun appears about half the size as it does on Earth.
   

   At the closest point to the Sun, the Martian southern hemisphere leans towards the Sun, causing a short, intensely hot summer, while the northern hemisphere endures a brief, cold winter: at its farthest point from the Sun, the Martian northern hemisphere leans towards the Sun, causing a long, mild summer, while the southern hemisphere endures a lengthy, cold winter.