Mars

Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, is the first planet beyond Earth’s orbit and is often called the Red Planet due to its reddish appearance, which is caused by iron-rich soil.

Its thin atmosphere mainly contains carbon dioxide and provides little surface pressure, resulting in freezing temperatures and a weak greenhouse effect.

The surface resembles Earth's with mountains, canyons, and craters but lacks tectonic plates, so it is geologically inactive.

Mars is home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, standing 27 km high—three times taller than Mount Everest—with a base as large as Arizona.

It also has the largest canyon, Valles Marineris, a massive 4,000 km long canyon that plunges 7 km deep.

Interestingly! Mars also has water and hydrated salts, hinting at seasonal liquid water flows, while abundant ice is found in its polar caps.

Mars has two irregularly shaped moons, Phobos and Deimos, probably asteroids that were captured by Mars’s gravity.

NASA aims to send humans to Mars by 2040. Let us see what new discoveries might await us there!