Unknown Fascinating Facts About Mars

Mars is the fourth planet in our solar system.

Romans named the planet after their God of war because of its red color.

The bright red color of Mars is due to high concentrations of iron-rich compounds in soil and mountains.

According to research reports, the iron minerals in soil form rust, giving it the characteristic red color.

There is no existence of liquid water on Mars.

However, in some places, traces of saline water are found.

Mars is relatively smaller than Earth, but it is believed to have the same amount of dry land.

The red planet is also home to some of the deepest, highest, and longest mountain ranges in the solar system.

The Olympus Mons is 27 km high, which is almost three times the height of Mount Everest.

Scientists believe that the valleys on Mars are formed by stretching and lifting of the crust.

Mars is also known to have the most extensive volcano solar system.

Read on till the very end to know more interesting facts about mars.

Longer Shifting Seasons and Years

Mars is the seventh-largest planet in the solar system, with a radius of about 2106 miles.

The surface gravity of mass measures 37.5% to that of Earth.

Mars takes around 24.6 earth hours to complete one rotation around its axis.

The seasons on Mars are similar to those on Earth.

The hemisphere that is closest to the sun experiences summer and spring.

Similarly, when a hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, it experiences winter and fall.

There are two specific moments in a year when Mars experiences equinoxes.

At this time, both hemispheres receive equal amounts of sunlight.

However, the seasons on Mars are much different than those on Earth.

Approximately March is 50% farther away from the Sun, with a distance of 140 million miles.

It lengthens the year span and seasons on Mars.

Besides, the axis of rotation changes more frequently, which results in alterations in the Martian climate.

The annual variations also impact the occurrence of Equinox and solstices on Mars.

1. Cosmic Activities

Many years ago, Mars gained two irregularly shaped small moons.

Deimos and Phobos were discovered back in 1877.

The researchers were unable to determine how these moons were formed.

Recent findings suggest that the two moons could result from debris thrown away from Mars after a huge impact.

The smaller of the two moons is Deimos, and it orbits Mars every 30 hours.

Phobos has many scars on its surface that include deep grooves and craters.

Phobos comes six feet closer to Mars every hundred years. In the future, the moon will crash the planet in the next 50 million years. 

2. Natural Features

Mars is known to have some of the highest and lowest features in the solar system.

In the southeast regions of the Olympus Mons lies Valles Marineris.

It is the famous canyon system on the planet.

The gorgeous on Mars are spread across an area of about 2500 miles.

3. Differences in Two Hemispheres

Mars formed 4.5 billion years ago from clouds of gas and dust.

Over the years, the planet has undergone several changes that resulted in its core, mantle, and outer crust.

In the core, Mars primarily comprises nickel and iron.

The Northern and southern hemispheres of Mars geography are essentially different, unlike any other planet of the solar system.

The northern hemisphere mainly includes low-lying planes.

However, the southern hemisphere has extinct volcanoes, and the crust is around 62 miles thick.

The only similarity between both hemispheres is that they are in the characteristic red dust.

4. Expeditions to Mars

Humans have tried to explore Mars through various means since the 1960s.

Currently, there are around eight missions from the European countries and India that are exploring Mars.

However, planting 50 on the surface of Mars is quite a difficult task.

There have been around 45 expeditions to Mars, out of which 26 have failed to leave the Earth's orbit.

NASA is continuously making efforts to develop missions that can sample rocks and other elements from Mars.

If these missions are successful, it will help interpret the structure and other characteristics of the red planet.

Perhaps someday, humans will join robots on Mars.

NASA is working continuously to send humans to the red planet.

Advancements in technology will eventually help humans develop a scientific base on mars the planet.

However, it is still unknown whether such activities will impact the natural surroundings of Mars.