Did You Know: Space – Is there life on Mars?
Long ago, Mars was warmer and wetter than it is now, with a thicker atmosphere, or layer of gas, surrounding the planet. This means there could once have been life on it. There may even be tiny life forms there today.
Olympus Mons
The largest volcano in the solar system is on Mars.
It is called Olympus Mons, and it is 16 miles (25 km) high, which is nearly three times the height of Mount Everest.
What is the weather like on Mars?
Dust storms
Mars often has huge dust storms. These storms are sometimes so big that they can be seen by telescopes on Earth.
Cold weather
Mars is a cold world, with a much thinner atmosphere than Earth. Its average temperature is a chilly -76ºF (-60ºC).
Frozen poles
Just like Earth, Mars has ice caps covering its north and south poles. The ice is made of frozen water and frozen carbon dioxide.
Signs of water
The rule used by scientists who are looking for life elsewhere in the universe is to follow the water! Streaks on Mars’s surface are thought to have been made by the flow of very salty water.
Many rings
Saturn has many different sized rings circling around it. The larger ones were all named after a letter of the alphabet, in the order that they were discovered