Table of Contents

Mars in a nutshell

This computer generated image shows bluish-white water ice clouds hang above the Tharsis volcanoes.
(Image: NASA/JPL/MSSS)

Mars:

• is the fourth planet from the Sun
• makes one revolution round the Sun in 687 days. A Martian day, known as sol, is 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds
• has an atmosphere made up mostly of carbon dioxide (95%)
• has a force of gravity at its surface only 38% as strong as Earth's
• has two moons called Deimos and Phobos
• is between 55,7 and 401 million km from Earth
• is about 228 million km from the Sun
• has an average temperature of -53ºC (temperatures can oscillate between -128ºC and 27ºC, depending on the place and the time of day)
• is swept by strong winds reaching an average of 200 km/h
• is half the size of Earth
• has four seasons, since the planet's orbital inclination is of 25.19º
  (the Earth's is 23.45º)