You most likely have heard about me. I am called Mars, a planet very similar to the Earth. I am a rocky planet and look reddish because there is a lot of iron in the rocks. Iron is a metal that rust and turns red in the process. Because of this, some people call me the Red Planet.
If you visit me, you will most likely sneeze as it is very dusty here. The dust storms here last for many months. My thin atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide with traces of nitrogen and argon. I have huge volcanoes. I spin about the same speed as Earth, therefore one day on me is about the same as one day on Earth. A Martian day is only 37 minutes longer than a day on Earth.
I am the fourth planet in orbit around the sun. I have the tallest mountain in the Solar System. I have two small cute moons – Phobos and Deimos. The two moons are very close to me. Scientist have sent spaceships and robots to explore me.
Fun Fact: If the Sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be the size of a dime, and Mars would be about the size of an aspirin tablet!
Quick Facts
Discovery: Known to the ancient Greeks and visible to the naked eye
Named for the Roman god of war
Diameter: 4,217 miles (6,787 km)
Orbit: 687 Earth days
Day: Just more than one Earth day (24 hours, 37 minutes)
The 8 Planets For Kids - Fun Learning 