Search results
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. The surface of Mars is orange-red because it is covered in iron(III) oxide dust, giving it the nickname "the Red Planet". Mars is among the brightest objects in Earth's sky, and its high-contrast albedo features have made it a common subject for telescope viewing.
Learn about Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, and its features, history, and potential for life. Find out how Mars compares to Earth in size, distance, orbit, seasons, moons, and more.
2 days ago · Mars is the fourth planet in the solar system in order of distance from the Sun and the seventh in size and mass. It is a periodically conspicuous reddish object in the night sky. There are intriguing clues that billions of years ago Mars was even more Earth-like than today.
- Mars is less than 56 million km (35 million miles) from Earth at its closest approach, but it recedes to almost 400 million km (250 million miles)...
- Mars is the second smallest planet in the solar system, only larger than Mercury and slightly more than half the size of Earth. It has an equatoria...
- Mars is similar to Earth in many ways. Like Earth, it has clouds, winds, a roughly 24-hour day, seasonal weather patterns, polar ice caps, volcanoe...
- The characteristic temperature on Mars in the lower atmosphere is about 200 kelvins (K; −100 °F, −70 °C), which is generally colder than the averag...
- The Viking landers are two robotic U.S. spacecraft launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the study of the planet...
- Space colonization, on Mars or elsewhere, is widely debated. Some argue humans have a moral duty to save our species from extinction, and space col...
Learn about Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, and its history, climate, moons, and missions. See images, videos, and news from NASA's robotic explorers and human spaceflight plans.
- Mars and Earth have approximately the same landmass. Even though Mars has only 15% of the Earth’s volume and just over 10% of the Earth’s mass, around two thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered in water.
- 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.
- 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.
- Mars has the largest dust storms in the solar system. They can last for months and cover the entire planet. The seasons are extreme because its elliptical (oval-shaped) orbital path around the Sun is more elongated than most other planets in the solar system.
Explore the surface of Mars with Google Maps. Zoom, rotate and search for landmarks and features on the red planet.
Learn about Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, and its history, climate, and moons. See how NASA robots and missions are studying the Red Planet and preparing for human exploration.
