Back to Glossary

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the seventh largest in the Solar System. A cold, dusty desert world with a thin atmosphere (mostly CO₂), the planet features extinct volcanoes, deep canyons, polar ice caps, and seasons. Mars has two small moons (Phobos and Deimos), a day just over 24 hours long, and a year lasting about 687 Earth days. It is a prime focus of robotic exploration and studies about past water and habitability.

Source: science.nasa.gov

APODs including "Mars"

Stereo Phobos

20/11/2004

Stereo Phobos
Image Credit: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Get out your red/blue glasses and float next to Phobos, grooved moon of Mars! Also featured in yesterday's episode, the image data from the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera was recorded at a distance of about 200 kilometers. This tantalizing stereo anaglyph view shows the Mars-facing side of the asteroid-like moon's cratered and grooved surface. Up to hundreds of meters wide, the mysterious grooves may be fractures related to the impact which created 10 kilometer wide Stickney crater, the large crater at the left.