Mars is the ultimate mystery when it comes to our solar system. Gradually, we’re beginning to unravel facts about the elusive planet. Our understanding and knowledge of the planet has expanded for the better. Here are some fascinating Mars facts that will give you a whole new perspective:
- All the information we have about Mars has been gathered by land rovers and orbiters. Man has never been to Mars!
- Mars has a surface consisting of minerals rich in iron. When they oxidize, they give a reddish appearance to the planet. This is why Mars is called the red planet.
- Without your spacesuit, you’d instantly die on Mars. This is because the atmospheric pressure on Mars is extremely low. At such low pressures, liquid water boils. Thus, your blood to boil and turns to bubbles, leading to immediate death.
- Mars has two faces. The northern hemisphere has low lying plains that give it a younger appearance while the southern side has a rocky terrain and is full of craters.
- Mars has four seasons like the Earth. The rotation axis of Mars is tilted at an angle similar to that of Earth. So, Mars has seasons like winter, summer, fall and spring. However, these seasons are twice as long on Mars as they are on our planet.
- The volcano on Mars, called Mount Olympus/Olympus Mons, is the tallest mountain of the solar system. It is about three times higher than the Everest. Its volume is about a 100 times greater than that of Earth’s largest volcano, Mauna Loa.
- It is widely known that Mars has water but not in the same form as it is on the Earth. Scientists are of the opinion that a long time ago, there was liquid water on the surface of Mars. They have found various materials on the planet that could only have been possible in the presence of water.