Ever since initial probes were successfully sent to Mars back in the late 20th century, man has gradually unraveled many of its mysteries. Thanks to technological advancements: we all now have a better insight into this fascinating planet.

Interesting Facts About Mars (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Mars that man now knows is very much different from what was then depicted when the best tool that could be used was a mere telescope. NASA’s 8 Mars rover missions have greatly expanded our knowledge pool with the data and photographs they have sent back. Here are 25 fascinating facts about the planet mars you need to know:
1. Mars is a two-faced planet.One of the most interesting facts about Mars is that its two sides look differently from each other. The northern hemisphere consists of low-lying plains that make it look young, while the southern part looks old with its high and rough terrain full of craters. Also, the crust in the southern portion is thicker than that in the north.
2. Mars is a terrestrial planet, just like Earth, Venus, and Mercury.

Mars Next To Earth (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
3. Snow in Mars can vaporize before it reaches the ground.

Snow on Mars (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
4. Mars looks reddish because its atmosphere carries rustic dusts.

Mars Atmosphere (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
5. The planet is marked with numerous impact craters.

Bonneville Crater on Mars (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The two sides of the planet look differently from each other. The northern hemisphere consists of low-lying plains that look young while the southern part looks old with a high and rough terrain full of craters. Also, the crust in the southern portion is thicker than that in the north.
6. Mars’ pressure is so low it can cause your blood to bubble.If you don’t wear the appropriate spacesuit in Mars, you will die instantly. This is because Mars’ atmospheric pressure is very low–100 times less than that on Earth! A very low pressure can cause liquid water to boil intense. So once you step into the Martian atmosphere unprotected, your blood will bubble, since it is 83 percent water.
7. There is water in Mars.

Martian North Polar Ice Cap (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
8. Data show that Mars may have had rivers and oceans in the distant past.

Silica-Rich Soil – Potential Evidence of Water
The most recent evidence of this comes from the rover Curiosity. In particular, the scientists manning this exploration reported on January 15, 2013 that the rover found various materials at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater’s lowest spot. Such materials, they noted, could only develop in the presence of water. This important finding adds up to the possibility that in the past, Mars was habitable by some life forms.
9. If you think a trekking tour on the stretch of Grand Canyon isn’t challenging enough, try Mars’ Valles Marineris!

Valles Marineris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
10. Mars has a very thin atmosphere.You won’t be able to breathe the Martian air because it is very thin. Carbon dioxide makes up 95.3 percent of Martian atmosphere while Earth has only less than a percent. Moreover, the Earth’s atmosphere is made of 21 percent oxygen. Mars, in contrast, only has 0.13 percent oxygen. It also has far less nitrogen, water vapor, and pressure than what can be found on Earth. The present composition of the Earth’s atmosphere makes life possible.
11. It never rains on Mars.It never rains in this planet because it is very cold, and dry as a desert. This is also one reason why liquid water cannot exist. In fact, once you expose liquid water into the Martian surface, it turns either into ice or gas.
12. It snows carbon dioxide there!Another fun fact about Mars is that it snows there – only the snowflakes are made of carbon dioxide instead of water. Can you imagine that? The flakes are too tiny you would think it is fog. In fact, the snowflakes are just the size of your red blood cells.
13. Martian dust storms are the solar system’s largest.

Mars Dust Storm Shown By White Arrows (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
14. Want to lose weight? Go to Mars!
This is interesting, isn’t it? In the Martian surface, you can jump three times as high as you can here on Earth, unless if you wear a heavy spacesuit, of course. This is one of the coolest facts about Mars. Its surface gravity is roughly 37 percent less than Earth’s.
In other words, a plane from the Martian soil would need only 37 percent of the lift than what you need to leave the ground on Earth. If only it was a one-hour plane ride away, many obese people here on Earth would probably love to take a visit!
15. Surprisingly, no one knows who discovered Mars exactly.The discovery of Mars cannot be accounted to any individual, because historical accounts are not consistent. There are some indications that ancient Egyptians have discovered it in 1570 B.C., originally calling it planet Mars, after the god of war because of its blood-red color. However, the Polish astrologist Nicolaus Copernicus also got the credit. He may have been the first to look at Mars through the telescope. Furthermore, many believe Christian Huygens also deserve some credit for drawing Mars first, as he was the first to observe the dark-colored face of Mars.
16. Like Earth, Mars also has four seasons.
Both Mars and Earth are tilted into their axes. The tilt of the rotation axis of Mars, at 25.2°, is almost similar to that of the Earth, with 23.4°. Therefore, like Earth, Mars also has winter, spring, summer, and fall, only that each of the latter’s seasons lasts twice as long.
17. A day on Mars is roughly as long as a day here on Earth.
A solar day in Mars, called one sol, lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds, which is almost the same as that here on Earth. A year in the red planet, however, lasts almost twice the number of Earth days, 687 days. So if you are 25 years old and interested to know how old you would be in Mars, you would be approximately only 13 years old.
18. There are two moons in Mars.

Phobos & Deimos (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
19. The tallest volcano in Mars is about three times higher than Mount Everest!

Olympus Mons – The Tallest Mountain In The Solar System (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It is so large its base could cover the entire Arizona state. To compare further, Olympus Mons’ volume is 100 times larger than that of Earth’s largest, the Mauna Loa volcano in the Hawaiian state. This is such an irony in a planet half the size of Earth.
20. Any spacecraft or rover Earth sends to Mars never returns.

NASA’s Curiosity Rover (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
21. Earth has some pieces of Mars.Man is yet to deploy its Mars sample return mission. But Earth already has pieces of Mars even if no mission has ever returned a sample of any kind. How? Several meteorites discovered in Antarctica are said to have come from Mars because gases locked in these rocks match the composition of Mar’s atmosphere.
The most recent meteorite discovery is the “Designated Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034”, also known as the Black Beauty found from the Sahara Desert in 2011. Scientists found that the rock is 2.1 billion years old, much younger than any that have been discovered in the past. It is said to contain ten times the water content of any Martian sample. It contains significantly more oxygen, too.
22. No human being has ever been to Mars.

1893 Ad For Kirk’s Soap Based On Idea That Mars was Populated
However, just because man has not stepped foot on Mars yet doesn’t mean he won’t ever. There has been a lot of talk about sending a man into the Red Planet during this century and there is also talk of terraforming Mars (in the very distant future) as the human race grows beyond the capacity of Earth.
23. The US has launched a total of eight landing missions to Mars, seven of which have been successful.
No other country has been as successful as the US in sending landing missions to Mars. The missions that have successfully landed are Viking 1 (1976), Viking 2 (1976), Mars Sojourner (1997), Mars Exploration Rover – Spirit (2004), Mars Exploration Rover – Opportunity (2004), Phoenix Mars Lander (2008), and MSL Curiosity (2012). Before the successful landing of US’ Viking 1 and 2 in Mars in 1976, four such missions have tried and failed. These are Sputnik 24, Mars 2, Mars 3, and Mars 6, all by the USSR. To date, there are seven other landing missions which have failed.
24. Mars missions cost a lot of money.
While this fact might not be surprising to you, the figures might. The US’ Viking missions alone were worth $1 billion in 1970s price level. Opportunity and Spirit rovers cost roughly $1 billion; while the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity’s budget is an astonishing $2.5 billion, the priciest ever.
25. You have to travel for more than a year to reach Mars and come back to Earth.If you are planning to do an expedition for a year, that is 365 Earth days, in Mars, you might need a staple that covers for over two years. That is because, it will take you roughly eight months to go there and another eight to come back home to Earth.
More interestingly, traveling the minimum distance between Earth and Mars at 56 million kilometers by car in its average driving speed would take you about a lifetime or 66.5 years. This sure would be one heck of a vacation, especially those who want to take a real break!
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