Welcome to our new post! In this article, I will present to you some curiosities about the planet Mars. Get ready to learn amazing things about the fourth planet in our solar system and amaze your friends with these interesting facts.

It is located between Earth and Jupiter. Its existence could be confirmed since ancient times, as advanced telescopes are not needed to see it.

The planet's name honors the Roman god of war, passion, and male sexuality. It has two moons, Deimos (Terror in English) and Phobos (Fear in English). Both names have their origin in Greek and are two children of Ares and Aphrodite.

It is the second smallest planet in our solar system, larger only than Mercury. This planet is about half the size of Earth. Mars is a small, rocky planet covered in reddish dust.

When we hear the name "Red Planet," we initially think of fire, but contrary to our assumption, this planet is not hot but rather cold. Temperatures can vary by region, ranging from 68°F to -202°F. The planet's red color comes from the large amount of iron oxide in its soil.

Our neighboring planet also has weather, seasons, canyons, and volcanoes. Only activity in the planet's atmosphere has been observed; its surface is inactive. Mars' atmosphere is thin and primarily composed of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon.

Did you know there is water on Mars? Scientists have noticed possible signs that Mars experienced floods in the past, but now the only existing water on the planet is thin clouds and frozen dust. Evidence of salty water on slopes has also been found. There are channels on its surface reminiscent of rivers and streams. Indications of erosion by water and wind can also be observed.

The theory that there were large amounts of water on Mars in the past is supported by the fact that, like Venus, Mars' water contains five times more deuterium than Earth's water. Light water tends to be lost in space, while heavier water tends to stay on the planet. However, another theory that Mars has always been a dry planet and water had little impact on its surface arrangement is gaining ground.

The search for water on planets is important, as it is essential for life. Therefore, it cannot be determined at this moment if there was any existence of life in the past. Theories exist that dormant microorganisms might still be found in Mars' ice, awaiting more favorable conditions for life, but there is still no evidence of this.

A study by the Viking probe found chemical activity that could be microbial, but NASA refuted this theory due to the extremely dry conditions, ultraviolet rays, and soil chemistry preventing the formation of life in the planet's soil.

Mars' clouds are not all white like Earth's; there are three colors of clouds: yellow, white, and blue. The color depends on the composition. In winter, there are clouds with very fine ice crystals formed from atmospheric vapor.

This planet has two polar ice caps (high areas covered in ice) mainly composed of water.

A day on Mars is almost the same length as one on Earth and lasts 24.6 hours. However, a year on Mars is almost twice as long as on Earth, taking 687 days to complete a year on the red planet.

Over the years, various expeditions have managed to visit this planet. An interesting fact is that it's the only planet to have been visited by rovers (robotic vehicles).

If Mars is your favorite planet, you will enjoy a NASA website that provides real-time data about this planet. On this website, you can see the temperature, distance from the sun, latest discoveries, atmospheric conditions, and more. You can access this information at this link: https://mars.nasa.gov/

On the surface of Mars lies the second-largest mountain in our entire solar system, Olympus Mons. This shield-shaped area harbors a volcano and reaches a height of 21.9 km. Despite its height, it couldn't be seen with ancient telescopes, and an interesting fact is that it was once believed to be just a white spot on Mars. Olympus Mons is much wider than it is tall, so it doesn't have a steep incline.

Tharsis is a volcanic plateau located in the equatorial region of the planet. In this region, there was a huge accumulation of lava that gave rise to the Tharsis Montes; this area houses several volcanoes. Olympus Mons is located within Tharsis.

The orbit of Mars never crosses that of Earth around the Sun, which is why it is considered one of the superior planets, just like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Mars' core is similar to Earth's, meaning it has a dense metallic core surrounded by less dense metals.

Compared to Earth, Mars has 11% of our mass, 53% of our diameter, and 28% of our surface area. An interesting fact is that while we have oceans on our planet covering about 70% of our surface, the two planets have practically the same amount of walkable surface.

Mars, like other planets in our solar system, also displays scars on its surface from intense meteorite bombardments in the past. The transition between the northern and southern portions of this planet is very distinct; the northern portion is deeper and has younger formations, while the southern part of the planet is higher and its structures are older. The reason for this surface configuration remains unknown.

Analysis of Martian soil has confirmed that its composition is similar to that of Earth and contains compounds necessary for plant growth, such as sodium, magnesium, chlorine, and potassium.

Do you know what the science that studies the surface of Mars is called? It's called Areography, and the name comes from Ares, the god of war.

Dust storms with winds of up to 150 km/h can assail this planet for weeks or even months. These storms are so intense that they can darken the entire planet.

The absence of a magnetic field allows solar wind to enter the atmosphere, interacting with ions in the atmosphere, increasing their acceleration, which in turn increases the speed of these ions and allows them to escape the planet.

Scientists have found traces of methane gas in Mars' atmosphere; this unstable gas tends to disappear within a few years, so it's believed that there might be some methane production on Mars, although the origin of this gas has not yet been confirmed.