Mars

Atmosphere: Mars has a thin atmosphere that is mostly made of carbon dioxide, argon gases, and nitrogen. Due to how thin it is, there is little protection against impacts from objects like meteorites, asteroids, and comets.

Planet type: Terrestrial

Physical features: Mars is dry, rocky, and bitterly cold, but has some of the most interesting topographical features. There is a large canyon system that is long enough to stretch from New York to California. Mars is also home to the largest volcano in the solar system. Some features on the red planet suggest that water was abundantly present on Mars, but today there is only water-ice found in polar regions.

Weather: Temperatures can range from as high as 70 degrees Fahrenheit to as low as -255 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the thin atmosphere, heat from the sun easily escapes. There are occasional wind patterns that create dust storms over the planet and it can take months before all the dust settles.

Size: Radius is 2,106 miles - about half the size of the Earth.

Speed: 1 rotation around the sun is 687 Earth days.

# of Moons: 2

Other interesting facts:

• A day on Mars is 24.6 hours - basically the same as Earth!

• Although Mars is mostly known for its striking red hue, it actually has many colors painting its surface: brown, gold, and tan as well! It only looks red due to the dust and oxidization/rusting of iron!

• Mars is one of the easiest planets to spot from Earth. Just look for the bright red dot of light in the night sky!