The reason Mars looks reddish is due to oxidization – or rusting – of iron in the rocks, regolith (Martian “soil”), and dust of Mars. This dust gets kicked up into the atmosphere and from a distance makes the planet appear mostly red.

In May 2021, China became the second nation to ever land successfully on Mars when its Zhurong Mars rover touched down. An international fleet of eight orbiters is studying the Red Planet from above including three NASA orbiters: 2001 Mars Odyssey , Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter , and MAVEN .

Jan 9, 2025 · NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system.

Jan 9, 2025 · Start your virtual exploration of the Red Planet with interactive games that put you in the driver's seat. Mars Funzone is the destination for Red Planet-related games, amazing facts, activities and special events related to the exploration of Mars.

Apr 19, 2018 · Engineer Joel Steinkraus uses sunlight to test the solar arrays on one of the Mars Cube One (MarCO) spacecraft at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The MarCOs will be the first CubeSats -- a kind of modular, mini-satellite -- flown into deep space. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Jul 14, 1995 · The U.S. spacecraft Mariner 4 ushered in the beginnings of humanity's detailed exploration of the Red Planet 30 years ago today when it flew by Mars at a distance of about 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) on July 14, 1965, taking the first close- …

Jun 7, 2018 · NASA’s Curiosity rover has found new evidence preserved in rocks on Mars that suggests the planet could have supported ancient life, as well as new evidence in the Martian atmosphere that relates to the search for current life on the Red Planet.

Feb 13, 2019 · Spirit and Opportunity showed how mobile robots on Mars could communicate reliably with Earth (either directly or by employing orbiters around Mars as relays back to our home planet), use 3-D vision to navigate the Martian …

A total solar eclipse will darken a swath of North America as the Moon blocks the light of the Sun for a few minutes on April 8, 2024. In addition to casting a breathtaking, passing shadow over the heads of millions of people, this total solar eclipse gives scientists a unique opportunity to study the Sun, Earth, and their interactions.

Apr 6, 2015 · On Mars, NASA spacecraft have found clear evidence that the Red Planet had water on its surface for long periods in the distant past. NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover discovered an ancient streambed that existed amidst conditions favorable for life as we know it.