Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is a terrestrial planet which means it is made out of rocks and metals. It is named after the Roman God of War. The days and seasons on Mars are similar to the days and seasons on Earth. A year on Mars is 687 Earth days long.
Mars’ surface has rocks and soil just like Earth but it is red! This is because Mars’ soil contains iron oxide which makes the soil and rocks red. That is why it is called “the red planet”. There are amazing landforms on Mars. The biggest volcano in the Solar System is located on Mars. It is called Olympus Mons. It is two and a half times larger than Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth. Valles Marineris is the largest canyon in the Solar System! It is over 1,864 miles (3,000 kilometers) long, 372 miles (600 kilometers) across, and 4 miles (6 kilometers) deep!