RED PLANET DAY

Every year on November 28th, Red Planet Day commemorates the launch of Spacecraft Mariner 4. It’s also a day to learn more about Mars, which is referred to as the red planet.

#RedPlanetDay

After 3 previous attempts, Spacecraft Mariner 4 became the first successful flyby of Mars. The spacecraft was launched on November 28, 1964, and reached Mars on July 14, 1965. The successful mission produced 22 pictures of the Martian surface. These pictures were the first-ever close-up photos to come from deep space. This mission, along with several others that occurred afterward, has helped us learn much about the red planet.

Interesting Facts About Mars

• It’s the iron oxide on the planet’s surface that makes it red

• The minimum distance from Earth to Mars is about 33.9 million miles.

• It’s the fourth planet from the sun.

• Deimos and Phobos are the names of the two moons on Mars.

• The temperature range is between -191 to 81 degrees F.

• The atmosphere is thin and is mostly made up of carbon dioxide.

• Mars boasts the highest mountain is our solar system and it’s 3 times the height of Mount Everest.

• One year on Mars is 687 Earth days.

• In 2018, scientists found evidence of a lake under a polar ice cap on Mars.

One more amazing fact is that due to the difference in gravity, a 100-pound man would only weigh 38 pounds on Mars. It’s no wonder so many people want to go to Mars! In fact, NASA wants to send humans to Mars as early as 2030.