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The Solar System

Sun | Mercury | Venus | Earth | The Moon | Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | Uranus | Neptune

The Fourth Planet

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 Quick Facts

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

Top Facts About Mars for Kids

  • 1. The surface area of Mars is almost the same as the land area of Earth.

    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.

  • 2. You'd weigh about 38% as much on Mars as you do on Earth.

    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 13 of what you weigh on earth.

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