Mars, the Red Planet, features the tallest mountain and deepest canyon in our solar system. It is the primary target for human space exploration.
Explore 2 moonsMars has a thin atmosphere composed of about 95 percent carbon dioxide, with nitrogen, argon, and traces of oxygen and water vapor. Surface pressure is less than one percent of Earth's, far too low for liquid water to exist on the surface under normal conditions. However, evidence from orbiters and rovers suggests liquid water once flowed freely on Mars billions of years ago, carving channels and filling ancient lakes.
Mars hosts the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, which rises 21.9 km above the surrounding plains and spans 600 km in diameter. Valles Marineris, a system of canyons stretching over 4,000 km, dwarfs the Grand Canyon in every dimension. The planet has polar ice caps composed of water ice and dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) that grow and shrink with the seasons. Planet-wide dust storms can last for months.
Mars is the most explored planet beyond Earth. NASA's Viking landers made the first successful landing in 1976. The Curiosity rover (active since 2012) discovered that Mars once had conditions suitable for microbial life. Perseverance landed in Jezero Crater in 2021 and has been collecting rock samples for future return to Earth. Ingenuity, the first helicopter to fly on another planet, completed 72 flights before its mission ended in 2024.
Diameter
6,792 km
Mass (Earth = 1)
0.107
Surface Gravity
3.72 m/s²
Distance from Sun
1.52 AU
Orbital Period
687 days
Rotation Period
24.6 hours
Avg Temperature
-65°C
Escape Velocity
5.03 km/s
1.88x smaller than Earth
9.35x smaller than Earth
2.64x smaller than Earth
Mars has the largest dust storms in the solar system, which can last for months and cover the entire planet.
A year on Mars is almost twice as long as a year on Earth (687 Earth days).
Mars appears red because of iron oxide (rust) in its soil.
| Mission | Year | Agency | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viking 1 & 2 | 1976 | NASA | Complete |
| Curiosity | 2012-present | NASA | Active |
| Perseverance | 2021-present | NASA | Active |
| Ingenuity | 2021-2024 | NASA | Complete |
Fun Fact
“Olympus Mons on Mars is the tallest known mountain in the solar system at 21.9 km (13.6 miles) high — nearly 2.5 times the height of Mount Everest.”