Ophilia mars

Mars is more like Earth than you think. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory astrobiologist Lindsay Hays explains how the red planet helps us understand the early evolution of life on Earth. #astronomy #space #nasa #nasajpl #mars #lifeonmars #marsfacts

Until recently, scientists believed that there was no liquid water on the surface of Mars –– only rocks, soil dust and ice. But… News flash! In 2018, they found evidence of a lake under the planet’s south polar ice cap. Exciting stuff!

A day on Mars is 24 hours and 37 minutes –– only a little bit longer than a day on our own planet. A year on Mars, however, is almost twice as long, lasting 687 Earth days! This is because it takes a lot longer than Earth to complete its orbit around the Sun.

Mars is home to the highest mountain in our solar system –– a volcano called Olympus Mons. Standing a whopping 24 kilometres high, it’s about three times the height of Mount Everest!

4) It can get pretty cold on Mars –– much colder than our own planet, since it’s further away from the sun. At the equator, temperatures can reach 20°C, but at its poles they can plummet to as low as -140°C. Brr!