Mars is a small, rocky planetwhich is cold and lifeless.
Mars has permanent ice caps at both poles made up mostly of solid carbon dioxide. We know this as "dry ice."
Very strong winds and vast dust storms sometimes blow through the entire planet for months!
Mars has two tiny moons which orbit very close to the surface. Their names are Phobos and Deimos.
Mars comes in second place (Earthbeing in first) for having the most highly varied and interesting terrain of any of the terrestrial planets. Check out some of these spectacular features:
Though there is no water on Mars now, it is thought that large lakes or even oceans may have once existed on this planet. Clear evidence of water erosion can be seen in old river channels and floodplains. It seems that water was only around for a very short while and very long ago
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest of the nine planets
Look for Mars! When it is in the nighttime sky, Mars is easily visible with the naked eye. Its brightness varies greatly depending on where it is relative to the Earth.