Mars 26/10/2005

: Mars is the fourth planet (opens in a new tab) from the Sun (opens in a new tab) in the Solar System (opens in a new tab). Named after the Roman (opens in a new tab) god of war (opens in a new tab), Mars (opens in a new tab), it is often described as the “Red Planet” as the iron oxide (opens in a new tab) prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance (opens in a new tab).[13] (opens in a new tab) Mars is a terrestrial planet (opens in a new tab) with a thin atmosphere (opens in a new tab), having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters (opens in a new tab) of the Moon (opens in a new tab) and the volcanoes, valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps (opens in a new tab) of Earth (opens in a new tab). The rotational period (opens in a new tab) and seasonal cycles of Mars are likewise similar to those of Earth, as is the tilt that produces the seasons. Mars is the site of Olympus Mons (opens in a new tab), the highest known mountain within the Solar System, and of Valles Marineris (opens in a new tab), the largest canyon. The smooth Borealis basin (opens in a new tab) in the northern hemisphere covers 40% of the planet and may be a giant impact feature.