Publisher's Synopsis
The fourth planet from the Sun is Mars. It is the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. Its English names derive from the Roman god of war. You can learn more about Mars in this book. Here are a few Mars facts that might surprise you. You may even be surprised by a few of them! Read on to discover the fascinating facts about Mars! You may also be surprised to learn that Mars has a long and varied history. Despite its short life in the Solar System, Mars has two asteroid-like moons: Phobos and Deimos. Phobos is slightly larger than Deimos and is composed of similar materials as asteroids. Scientists believe that Mars' gravity tore these moons from asteroids. However, Phobos will crash into the surface of Mars in 30 to 50 million years, and will eventually rip apart due to the gravity of Mars. Since 1960, about 50 missions have been sent to Mars. Of these missions, only about half of them have been successful. Mariner 9 is the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It sent more than 7,000 images back to Earth, and mapped nearly 85% of the planet's surface. There are many more missions planned for the future. In the meantime, Mars is still considered one of the most promising planets for future colonies. There are some challenges that need to be overcome before launching a colony on Mars. The first astronomer to observe the two moons of Mars - Phobos and Deimos - thought that they were canals built by Martians. However, better telescopes have revealed that these were not canals but valleys. This astronomical discovery has reopened the mystery of Mars' watery past. While it is still unknown if Mars ever had a magnetic field, astronomers have observed signs of water on the surface.
