THE SOLAR SYSTEM PART II
MARS Mars is the fourth planet from the sun in our solar system, located between Earth and Jupiter. It is often called the "Red Planet" because of its reddish appearance in the night sky, which is due to the iron oxide (rust) on its surface. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, composed mainly of carbon dioxide. Its surface is marked by vast plains, towering volcanoes, deep canyons, and polar ice caps. Mars has a day that is slightly longer than Earth's, with a day/night cycle of 24 hours and 39 minutes, and a year that is about 687 Earth days long. Mars has been a topic of scientific study and exploration for many years, with several spacecraft missions sent to study its surface and atmosphere. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Mars as a potential destination for human exploration and settlement in the future. JUPITER Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of about 86,881 miles (139,822 kilometers) at its equ...