Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planetin the Solar System after Mercury. In English, Mars carries a name of the Roman god of war and is often referred to as the ‘Red Planet’. The latter refers to the effect of the iron oxide prevalent on Mars’ surface, which gives it a reddish appearance distinctive among the astronomical bodies visible to the naked eye. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps of Earth.
DETAILS
Aphelion249,200,000 km (1.66 AU)
perihelion206,700,000 km (1.382 AU)
Semi major axis227,939,200 km (1.523679 AU)
Eccentricity 0.0934
synodic period 779.96 d
Average orbital speed24.007 km/s (86,430 km/h)
Satellite 2
Physical characteristics
main radius3,389.5 km
Equatorial radius3,396.2 km
polar radius3,376.2 km
UTTER 