Mars Facts: Interesting Facts About Mars, the Red Planet

Mars Facts for Kids

Mars had about one-tenth of the mass of Earth.

On mars, you’d experience 62.5% less gravity than you’re used to on Earth.

The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars.

On Mars the sun appears about half the size as it does on Earth.

Mars does not have a magnetic field.

The atmosphere in Mars is so thin that water does not exist in liquid form. It exists only as water vapor or ice.

Mars is home to the largest labyrinth of intersecting canyons in the solar system called the Noctis labyrinthus or labyrinth of the night

Mars polar ice caps which were once believe to be made from carbon dioxide with only small amount of water. Later observations indicated that the polar caps were mostly frozen water with a thin layer of carbon dioxide.

Many crew less spacecrafts, including orbiters, landers and rovers have been sent to Mars by the Soviet Union, the United States, Europe and India.

Mars is host to seven functioning spacecraft: five in orbit – 2001 Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, maven and Mars Orbiter Mission – and two on the surface – Mars Exploration Rover opportunity and the Mars Science laboratory.