F A C T S A B o u t M a r s

1. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun in our solar system.

It is a cold planet, with temperatures that vary significantly but are generally well below freezing.

It's called the "Red Planet" due to the rust-colored iron oxide dust on its surface.

The atmosphere is thin, primarily composed of carbon dioxide, with very little oxygen.

Its surface gravity is only about one-third of Earth's.

A Martian day, called a "sol," is 24 hours and 37 minutes, just a bit longer than an Earth day.