Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and also the second-smallest planet in the Solar System. Mars is often called the red planet because of the red-orange iron oxide, similar to rust, that covers its surface.
| Mars | Earth | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Planet | Terrestrial | Terrestrial |
| Moons | Phobos, Deimos | The Moon |
| Rings | None | None |
| Mass | 6.419 × 1023 kg | 5.972 × 1024 kg |
| Volume | 163,900,000,000 km3 | 1,083,000,000,000 km3 |
| Closest Distance to Sun | 206,700,000 km | 147,100,000 km |
| Furthest Distance from Sun | 249,200,000 km | 152,100,000 km |
| Average Orbital Speed | 86,680 kph | 107,200 kph |
Because about 71% of Earth's surface is covered by water, even though Mars is much smaller than the Earth, the land masses of both planets are about the same.
Because Mars's mass is significantly smaller than Earth's, just like the moon, it has significantly less gravitational pull. On Mars you would weigh only about 1⁄3 of what you weigh on earth.
