Mars

Mars is known as the red planet, because it is covered with red rock and dust. Mars rotates on its axis in slightly more than 24 hours and revolves around the sun in about 687 Earth days. The planet has two moons. Gravity on mars is 38% of Earth gravity. A person weighing 100 lbs. on Earth weighs only 38 pounds on Mars. The temperature on Mars seldom rises above freezing. The average surface temperature (F) is about -73.4 degrees. Mars atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. Mars gets its reddish color because dust storms stir up soil that is rich in iron oxide. The iron oxide or rust cover Mars for months at a time giving it a red color. The surface of mars is dry without oceans or rivers. Mars has craters, gorges, canyons and channels that may be dry river beds. With a telescope you can see polar ice caps. Volcanoes and other markings are also visible with a good telescope. In 1976 two Viking probes landed on the surface of Mars and tested soil but found no indications of life. Mars in mythology is the god of War.

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