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May 6, 2024 · Mars is the fourth planet in the solar system in order of distance from the Sun and the seventh in size and mass. It is a periodically conspicuous reddish object in the night sky. There are intriguing clues that billions of years ago Mars was even more Earth-like than today.
- How far is Mars from Earth?Mars is less than 56 million km (35 million miles) from Earth at its closest approach, but it recedes to almost 400 million km (250 million miles)...
- What is the size of Mars?Mars is the second smallest planet in the solar system, only larger than Mercury and slightly more than half the size of Earth. It has an equatoria...
- What do Mars and Earth have in common?Mars is similar to Earth in many ways. Like Earth, it has clouds, winds, a roughly 24-hour day, seasonal weather patterns, polar ice caps, volcanoe...
- What is the temperature on Mars?The characteristic temperature on Mars in the lower atmosphere is about 200 kelvins (K; −100 °F, −70 °C), which is generally colder than the averag...
- When did Viking 1 and Viking 2 land on Mars?The Viking landers are two robotic U.S. spacecraft launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the study of the planet...
- Should humans colonize space on Mars?Space colonization, on Mars or elsewhere, is widely debated. Some argue humans have a moral duty to save our species from extinction, and space col...
May 6, 2024 · Learn about Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, and its features, history, and exploration. Find out how Mars is a cold desert world with seasons, polar ice caps, volcanoes, canyons, and weather. See images and videos of Mars' surface, atmosphere, moons, and rovers.
Apr 16, 2024 · NASA’s Mars Exploration Program will focus the next two decades on its science-driven systemic approach on these strategic goals: exploring for potential life, understanding the geology and climate of Mars, and preparation for human exploration.
Apr 16, 2024 · Throughout its mission on the Red Planet, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter received thousands of electronic postcards filled with well wishes from all over the world via the mission’s website. In this video, members of the helicopter team read some of those messages.
Apr 16, 2024 · Mars Exploration Science Goals. The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four broad, overarching goals for Mars Exploration. This animated artist’s concept depicts a scene of water breaking through the rim of Mars’ Jezero Crater, which NASA’s Perseverance rover is now exploring.
Apr 16, 2024 · Overview. Perseverance is taking the next natural step in Mars exploration. It is looking for places in Jezero Crater that were habitable in the distant past, asking whether life ever existed there, and looking for signs of ancient life. Perseverance is also studying the evolution of Mars’ climate, surface, and the interior of the planet.
Mars is a rocky planet with a thin atmosphere primarily composed of carbon dioxide, with trace amounts of nitrogen and argon. The planet's surface is characterized by volcanoes, canyons, and impact craters, including Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system.
