
- Planet Name: Mars
- Type of Planet: Terrestrial
- Solar System Region: Inner Solar System
- Distance from the Sun: 128,400,000 miles (perihelion) to 154,800,000 miles (aphelion)
- Time to Orbit Around the Sun: About 686 Earth days
- Moons (natural satellites): 2
- Total Surface Area: 55,907,000 square miles
21 Mars Facts for Kids
- The planet Mars formed about 4.5 billion years ago.
- The planet Mars was first observed via a telescope in 1610, by Galileo Galilei.
- The planet Mars is the fourth closest planet to the Sun.
- Mars is in the inner part of our Solar System.
- Mars is a terrestrial planet.
- Mars is often referred to as the Red Planet.
- Mars is named after the Roman god of war.
- Mars is the second smallest planet in our Solar System.
- Mars is 53% the size of Earth.
- The radius of the planet Mars is about 2,106 miles.
- Mars’s perihelion (closest) distance to the Sun is 128.4 million miles.
- Mars’s aphelion (farthest) distance to the Sun is 154.8 million miles.
- It takes Mars 686 Earth days to complete an orbit around the Sun.
- Mars has two known moons (natural satellites).
- Phobos is the largest of the two moons of Mars.
- Deimos is the smallest of the two moons of Mars..
- The planet Mars has no rings.
- Mars has a very thin atmosphere which mostly contains carbon dioxide.
- It’s possible life existed on Mars in the past. Many astronomers and scientists believe Mars was once warmer with a much thicker atmosphere. There could have been a time when Mars was green and flush with water, just like Earth!
- The tallest mountain in our solar system is on Mars, it’s called Olympus Mon. It’s a shield volcano that is 13 miles high and has a diameter of about 372 miles.
- If you were standing on the surface of Mars, our Sun would appear to be half the size as seen from the surface of Earth.
Pictures of the Planet Mars

A picture of mars from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope.Credit: NASA

A picture of the mars landscape from the Rover Opportunity.Credit: NASA

A artist’s concept of the Rover Curiosity approaching mars.Credit: NASA
Additional Resources on the Planet Mars
- Mars – NASA – Find more facts about mars on the NASA website.
- Mars – Wikipedia – Discover more about the planet Mars on the Wikipedia website.
- Mars – National Geographic – Learn more about Mars on the National Geographic website.
- Mars: What We Know About the Red Planet – Amazing information about Mars on the Space.com website.