What Is Mars Named After?
The name for the planet Mars comes from the Roman god of war. This planet’s red color led to this name possibly because of the Romans’ association of red with bloodshed and their god of war. Mars’ red color is due to the iron oxide found on its surface.
Mars, also called the “red planet,” has the tallest mountain in the solar system. Olympus Mons is a volcano 16 miles (27 kilometers) in height. Mars and Earth have certain similarities, such as both having polar ice caps, seasons and the same amount of landmass. Differences include the surface temperature, which can range between -124 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-87 to -5 degrees Celsius) on Mars. Mars also has about 43,000 craters from collisions with objects like asteroids. Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos.
