Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Named after the Roman god of war, and often described as the “Red Planet” due to its reddish appearance. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere composed primarily of carbon dioxide.

Mars Planet Profile

  • Circumference at Equator: 21,296.9 km
  • Average Diameter:  6,792 km
  • Mass: 641,693,000,000,000 billion kg (0.107 x Earth)
  • Average Distance from Sun: 227,943,824 km (1.38 AU)
  • Known Satellites: 2
  • Notable Satellites: Phobos and Deimos
  • Length of Orbit: 686.98 Earth days (1.88 Earth years)
  • Surface Temperature: -87 to -5 °C

Mars Size and Moon Orbits

Mars Size

Facts about Mars

  1. The red colour Mars is known for is due to the rock and dust covering it’s surface being rich in iron
  2. Mars and Earth have approximately the same landmass even though it only has 15% of the Earth’s volume
  3. Mars is home to the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons which is 21km high and 600km in diameter
  4. On Mars the Sun appears about half the size as it does on Earth
  5. Mars has the largest dust storms in the solar system that can last for months and cover the entire planet
  6. Your weight on Mars is 38% of your weight on Earth