Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System.

The planet is named

after Mars, the Roman god of war. It is also referred to as the "Red Planet" bec
ause of its reddish appearance, due to iron oxide[7] prevalent on its surface. M
ars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features remi
niscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the volcanoes, valleys, deser
ts and polar ice caps of Earth. Unlike the Earth, Mars is now a geologically ina
ctive planet with no known tectonic activity. It is the site of Olympus Mons, th
e highest known mountain in the Solar System, and of Valles Marineris, the large
st canyon. The smooth Borealis basin in the northern hemisphere may be a giant i
mpact feature covering 40% of the planet.[8][9] Mars rotational period and season
al cycles are likewise similar to those of Earth.
Until the first flyby of Mars by Mariner 4 in 1965, many speculated that there m
ight be liquid water on the planet's surface. This was based on observed periodi
c variations in light and dark patches, particularly in the polar latitudes, whi
ch looked like seas and continents, while long, dark striations were interpreted
by some as irrigation channels for liquid water. These straight line features w
ere later explained as optical illusions. Still, of all the planets in the Solar
System other than Earth, Mars is the most likely to harbor liquid water, and th
us may contain life.[10] Geological evidence gathered by unmanned missions sugge
sts that Mars once had large-scale water coverage on its surface, while small ge
yser-like water flows may have occurred during the past decade.[11] In 2005, rad
ar data revealed the presence of large quantities of water ice at the poles[12]
and at mid-latitudes (November 2008).[13] The Phoenix Mars Lander directly sampl
ed water ice in shallow martian soil on July 31, 2008.[14]
Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are small and irregularly shaped. T
hese may be captured asteroids, similar to 5261 Eureka, a Martian Trojan asteroi
d. Mars can easily be seen from Earth with the naked eye. Its apparent magnitude
reaches -2.91,[5] a brightness surpassed only by Venus, the Moon, and the Sun,
although most of the time Jupiter will appear brighter to the naked eye than Mar
s. Mars has an average opposition distance of 78 million km but can come as clos
e as 55.7 million km during a close approach, such as occurred in 2003.[5]
Mars is currently host to three functional orbiting spacecraft: Mars Odyssey, Ma
rs Express, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. On the surface are the two Mars
Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) and several inert landers and rover
s, both successful and unsuccessful. The Phoenix lander completed its mission on
the surface in 2008. Observations by NASA's now-defunct Mars Global Surveyor sh
ow evidence that parts of the southern polar ice cap have been receding.[