How Hot Is Mars?

The average temperature on Mars is -80 degrees Fahrenheit. A summer day near Mars’ equator gets up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but dips to -100 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Winter temperatures at the Martian poles drop to 195 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mars is much farther from the Sun than the Earth, which partially explains the colder temperatures on the planet’s surface. Mars also has a very thin atmosphere that is incapable of retaining heat. The atmosphere is over 96 percent carbon dioxide. If it had an atmosphere that was thick enough to retain heat, the carbon dioxide would cause a greenhouse effect.

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