Out of all the planets in the solar system, Mars is unique. It is the planet most like our own. Ever since humans started gazing into the sky, Mars has been the topic of conversation and debate. People have speculated for centuries as to whether there is life on Mars, and that debate continues today! In fact, recent discoveries have shown that Mars should be able to sustain various forms of life. Furthermore, there are several manned missions to Mars in the works and even debate as to whether the planet can be terraformed. This would mean inducing a form of global warming to create an atmosphere that could sustain human life. Mars isn’t just well known for its life possibilities though. It is also the location of the highest mountain in the solar system – Olympus Mons. Actually, it’s a volcano. It is several times higher than Mount Everest and covers the entire area of France. Now that is a big mountain! Mars is also the only other planet in our solar system that has polar ice caps! If these things haven’t wetted your appetite, read on because you’re sure to find out something interesting about our galactic neighbor! These are 25 awesome facts about Mars!
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The highest mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons, is on Mars. It is three times the height of Everest and would cover most of France.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Mars is one of five planets you can see with your naked eye (Mars, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, and Jupiter).
Source: earthsky.org, Image: wikipedia The Indian mission to mars was actually cheaper than the filming of the movie Gravity.
Source: nytimes, Image: wikipedia The average surface temperature is -63 degrees Celsius (-81 degrees Fahrenheit).
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabay In 1997 three men from Yemen sued NASA for invading Mars. They claimed that they had inherited it from their ancestors thousands of years ago.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Scientists want to induce global warming on Mars to make it habitable for life. This process is known as terraforming.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia A NASA engineer actually designed a flag for Mars.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia More than 100,000 people have applied for a one-way trip to colonize the red planet in 2022 (Mars One).
Source: cnn, Image: wikipedia One year on Mars consists of 687 Earth days.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Currently, Mars' population is seven robots.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia On its 1 year anniversary the Curiosity Rover sang Happy Birthday to itself on Mars.
Source: washingtonpost, Image: wikipedia You weigh 60% less on Mars than you do on Earth.
Source: nasa, Image: winnifredxoxo via Flickr Martian soil is perfect for growing asparagus and turnips, but probably not strawberries.
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabay Speaking of Martian soil, NASA found the soil to be surprisingly similar to the soil you have in your backyard. It has all the nutrients necessary to support life.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Roughly 4 billion years ago Mars had an oxygen rich atmosphere.
Source: sci-news.com, Image: pixabay Sunsets are blue on Mars.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia The reason Mars is red is because it is covered in rust (iron oxide).
Source: space.com, Image: wikipedia Mars is approximately half the size of the Earth.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Out of more than 40 attempted missions to Mars, only 18 have been successful.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Mars has the biggest dust storms in the solar system. They can last for months and cover the entire planet.
Source: nasa, Image: wikipedia Although Mars is only half the Earth's size, it has about the same amount of land. This is because Earth's surface is mostly covered with water.
Source: nasa, Image: pexels Scientists have found pieces of Mars on Earth which let them study the red planet before space missions began.
Source: nasa, Image: wikipedia The pieces came from meteorites that struck Mars, ejected them into orbit around the sun, and then after millions of years they crashed into the Earth.
Source: nasa, Image: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr The name Mars comes from the Roman god of war.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Besides Earth, Mars is the only other planet with polar ice caps. It is also the most hospitable for life.
Source: nasa, Image: wikipedia 
