Poradi negovata bojadisana povr[ina, Mars ponekoga[ se narekuva Crvena planeta. Nekoga[ se mislelo deka toj e naselen. Nekoi tvrdele deka soteleskopi videle kanali na negovata povr[ina. No, koga vselenskite sondi go prou~ija Mars, bese jasno deka "kanalite" bile opti~ka iluzija.

Dimenziite na planetata Mars se slednite:

           Dijametar: 6.780 km

           Masa: 6.5 h 10 ²³  kg   (0.11 pati masata na Zemjata)

Temperatura: od -120 ⁰S do 25 ⁰S

Atmosfera: 95 % SO₂, Tragi od N₂O, O₂

Mars ima tenka atmosfera. Pritisokot na povr[inata e za 1% pomal od onoj na Zemjata. I pokraj toa, povremeno duvaat silni vetrovi i pesoklivata povr[ina e podlo`na na peso~ni buri. Karakteristi~no za Mars e toa [to kaj nego mo`at da se zabele`at prirodni procesi sli~i na onie na Zemjata. Eden vulkan na Mars e najgolemiot vulkan zabele`an dosega na site planeti. Planinata Olimp e visoka 25 km, ima pre~nik od 600 km, a pre~nikot na kraterot e 65 km. Toj se sostoi od bazaltna lava. Dolinata Mariner e dolga 2 500 km, dlaboka e nad 5 km i [iroka od 100 do 200 km. Nau~nicite seu[te se pra[uvaat dali kawonite na Mars bile izdlabeni samo od voda ili od gigantski potoci od kal. Pra[aweto za postoewe `ivot na Mars be[e ispituvano so sondote "Bikin" koi se spu[tija na Mars vo 1976 godina. Tie zedoa primeroci od po~vata i ispituvaa dali postojat kakvi bilo znaci na `ivot. Rezultatite bea negativni.No, denes vo svetot se poveke se govori sprotivnmoto. Mnogu od lu\eto veruvaat deka na Mars postoi `ivot.

 ge ts it's name.                                                                                                  

 Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and is commonly referred to as the Red Planet. The rocks, soil and sky have a red or pink hue. The distinct red color was observed by stargazers throughout history. It was given its name by the Romans in honor of their god of war. Other civilizations have had similar names. The ancient Egyptians named the planet Her Descher meaning the red one.

Before space exploration, Mars was considered the best candidate for harboring extraterrestrial life. Astronomers thought they saw straight lines crisscrossing its surface. This led to the popular belief that irrigation canals on the planet had been constructed by intelligent beings. In 1938, when Orson Welles broadcasted a radio drama based on the science fiction classic War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, enough people believed in the tale of invading Martians to cause a near panic.

Another reason for scientists to expect life on Mars had to do with the apparent seasonal color changes on the planet's surface. This phenomenon led to speculation that conditions might support a bloom of Martian vegetation during the warmer months and cause plant life to become dormant during colder periods.

In July of 1965, Mariner 4, transmitted 22 close-up pictures of Mars. All that was revealed was a surface containing many craters and naturally occurring channels but no evidence of artificial canals or flowing water. Finally, in July and September 1976, Viking Landers 1 and 2 touched down on the surface of Mars. The three biology experiments aboard the landers discovered unexpected and enigmatic chemical activity in the Martian soil, but provided no clear evidence for the presence of living microorganisms in the soil near the landing sites. According to mission biologists, Mars is self-sterilizing. They believe the combination of solar ultraviolet radiation that saturates the surface, the extreme dryness of the soil and the oxidizing nature of the soil chemistry prevent the formation of living organisms in the Martian soil. The question of life on Mars at some time in the distant past remains open.

Other instruments found no sign of organic chemistry at either landing site, but they did provide a precise and definitive analysis of the composition of the Martian atmosphere and found previously undetected trace elements.