Mars got its name from the powerful Roman god of war. Its moons Phobos and Deimos are named after the two horses that pulled the chariot of Mars.
Mars is the smallest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of 4217 miles.
Mars’ soil has a red rusty colour because it is covered with iron dioxide, giving it the name ‘Red Planet’.
Mars is farther from the sun than Earth. A year on Mars is 687 days long, which is nearly two years on Earth.
The temperature on Mars lies between 20℃ and -100℃. This is because Mars has a thin atmosphere made up of 95.9% carbon dioxide and 2.7% nitrogen.
Mars has the highest mountain in our solar system, Olympus Mons. It is a dormant volcano and is 16 miles high, three times higher than the Mount Everest.
Mars is about 141 million miles away from the sun and it would take 300 days to travel there from Earth.
A day on Mars is 37 minutes longer than a day on Earth, which is 24 hours.
Mars often witnesses severe dust storms which can cover the whole planet and last for months.
Mars also experiences seasons like Earth. It is because its axis is tilted by 25 degrees.