Mars, also known as the Red Planet, has amazed people for thousands of years. Its reddish glow in the night sky has sparked curiosity and wonder. Today, thanks to modern science, we know much more about this fascinating planet.
But did you know that Mars has the tallest volcano in the solar system? Or that its dust storms can cover the entire planet? These are just a few of the amazing things about Mars that most people don’t know.
In this blog, we’ll share 17 surprising facts about Mars that will blow your mind. Whether you’re a space lover or just curious about the universe, these facts will help you see Mars in a whole new way. Let’s get started!
1. Mars Has the Tallest Volcano in the Solar System
Mars is home to Olympus Mons, a massive shield volcano that stands about 13.6 miles (22 kilometers) high—nearly three times the height of Mount Everest! Its base is so wide that it could cover the entire state of Arizona. This colossal volcano formed over billions of years due to Mars’ lack of tectonic plate movement, allowing lava to pile up in one spot.
2. A Day on Mars Is Surprisingly Similar to Earth’s
A Martian day, called a sol, is only slightly longer than an Earth day. It lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds. This similarity makes Mars one of the most Earth-like planets in terms of timekeeping. However, a Martian year is much longer, lasting 687 Earth days due to its greater distance from the Sun.
4. Mars Once Had Flowing Water
Evidence from Mars rovers and orbiters shows that the planet once had rivers, lakes, and even oceans billions of years ago. Scientists have found dried-up riverbeds, deltas, and minerals that only form in the presence of water. Today, water exists on Mars as ice, mostly at the poles and beneath the surface.
5. Mars Has Blue Sunsets
Unlike Earth’s reddish sunsets, Martian sunsets appear blue. This fascinating phenomenon occurs because Martian dust particles scatter light differently than Earth’s atmosphere. When sunlight travels through Mars’ dusty atmosphere, red light passes straight through while blue light gets scattered, creating an ethereal blue glow around the setting sun. This effect mirrors exactly opposite to what we see on Earth, where our atmosphere scatters blue light during the day and lets red light through at sunset.
6. Mars Has the Largest Known Canyon in the Solar System
Valles Marineris, Mars’ grand canyon, stretches an incredible 2,500 miles long, up to 120 miles wide, and 7 miles deep. To put this in perspective, if placed on Earth, it would stretch from New York City to Los Angeles. This massive geological feature likely formed billions of years ago when Mars’ crust split apart, creating a scar that’s four times deeper than the Grand Canyon and as long as the United States.
7. Mars Once Had Flowing Water
Evidence from Mars rovers and orbiters shows that the planet once had rivers, lakes, and even oceans billions of years ago. Scientists have found dried-up riverbeds, deltas, and minerals that only form in the presence of water. Today, water exists on Mars as ice, mostly at the poles and beneath the surface.
8. Mars Experiences Snow Made of Carbon Dioxide
During Martian winters, temperatures at the poles can drop low enough for carbon dioxide to freeze, creating dry ice snow. This unique precipitation doesn’t fall like Earth’s snow but rather forms directly on the ground through a process called carbon dioxide deposition. The result creates beautiful seasonal patterns visible from orbit, with white caps extending across vast polar regions.
9. Ancient Mars Had More Oxygen Than Present-Day Earth
Analysis of Martian rocks by NASA’s Curiosity rover revealed that ancient Mars might have contained more atmospheric oxygen than Earth did during the same period, roughly 4 billion years ago. This discovery suggests that Mars once had conditions potentially more favorable for life than previously thought, with a thicker atmosphere and possibly vast oceans covering its surface.
10. Mars Has Rainbow-Colored Sand Dunes
While we often picture Mars as uniformly red, the planet actually features multicolored sand dunes. Different mineral compositions create various colors, from deep purples and blues to golden yellows and whites. These stunning formations, visible in high-resolution images from Mars orbiters, result from diverse geological processes and mineral deposits across the planet’s surface.
11. Mars’ Atmosphere Produces Auroras Visible to the Naked Eye
Despite its thin atmosphere, Mars experiences aurora displays visible to the human eye. Unlike Earth’s auroras, which typically occur near the poles, Martian auroras can appear across the entire planet due to its lack of a global magnetic field. These light shows result from solar particles interacting with Mars’ residual magnetic fields, creating stunning displays of green and blue lights.
12. Mars Has Regular “Ghost Storms”
Every few years, Mars experiences planet-wide dust storms that create electrical charges in the atmosphere. These charges generate mysterious “ghost” patterns in the dust, visible from orbit as intricate, spiraling designs. These electromagnetic phenomena might pose challenges for future Mars missions but also offer insights into how planetary atmospheres interact with solar radiation.
13. Mars’ Gravity Changes Across Its Surface
Unlike Earth’s relatively uniform gravitational field, Mars has significant gravitational anomalies across its surface. These variations, caused by differences in crustal thickness and density, can change by up to 1% between locations. This discovery has important implications for future Mars exploration and settlement, as it affects everything from spacecraft orbits to construction projects.
14. Mars Has Seasons Like Earth, But They’re Twice as Long
Due to its similar axial tilt to Earth (25.2° compared to Earth’s 23.5°), Mars experiences seasonal changes much like our planet. However, because Mars takes roughly twice as long to orbit the Sun, its seasons last approximately twice as long as Earth’s. These extended seasons create unique weather patterns and environmental conditions that scientists are still working to understand fully.
15. Mars’ Core Might Be Liquid
Scientists believe that Mars has a partially liquid core, similar to Earth’s. However, unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field, which is why its atmosphere has been stripped away by solar winds over billions of years. Recent data from NASA’s InSight lander has provided valuable insights into the planet’s interior.
16. Mars Has the Largest Dust Storms in the Solar System
Mars is infamous for its massive dust storms, which can cover the entire planet and last for weeks. These storms are powered by sunlight heating the thin atmosphere, causing winds that can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour). In 2018, a global dust storm ended the mission of NASA’s Opportunity rover by blocking sunlight from reaching its solar panels.
17. Humans Could Live in Lava Tubes on Mars
Mars has extensive networks of lava tubes, which are underground tunnels formed by ancient volcanic activity. These tubes could provide natural shelters for future astronauts, protecting them from radiation, extreme temperatures, and dust storms. Scientists are already studying these formations as potential habitats for human colonization.
Conclusion
Mars is more than just a red dot in the night sky—it’s a world full of mysteries and surprises. From its towering volcanoes to its ancient riverbeds, the Red Planet offers endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. These 17 lesser-known facts about Mars reveal just how unique and fascinating this planet truly is.
As we continue to send rovers, orbiters, and eventually humans to Mars, we’ll uncover even more secrets about our neighboring planet. Who knows? One day, you might even get to visit Mars yourself!