Mars is known as the red planet with a thin atmosphere. It is a cold and rocky desert world. The largest volcano in the world, Olympus Mons, is located on Mars. It has about one-third the gravity of Earth. Mars has two small moons.
Mars's atmosphere primarily consists of carbon dioxide with slight traces of nitrogen and argon. The atmosphere pressure is not thick; it is about 0.6% of Earth's pressure. The average temperature on Mars is about -60 degrees Celsius, and humidity is extremely low. There are strong winds that allow for the formation of dust storms.
Mars has mountains, canyons, volcanoes, polar ice caps, valleys, and impact craters. It also has chaotic terrain, dunes, dust storms, and evidence of past water.
Mars has the potential for life, specifically in the form of microorganisms.
Galileo Galilei made the first telescopic observations of Mars. These observations revealed distinct features such as Syrtis Major and polar ice caps.
NASA's Mariner 4 became the first spacecraft to fly by Mars successfully.
The Soviet's Mars 3 lander made the first successful landing on Mars.
The Soviet Union and the United States initiated spacecraft missions to Mars. Earlier attempts failed.
Human-crewed missions allowed for direct Earth observation and scientific research from space.
A network of satellites constantly monitors Earth's systems, which provides data for research and environmental monitoring.