Red Color of Mars A study, based on dat

Red Color of Mars

A study, based on data from multiple space missions and ground-based observations, indicates that the red color of Mars is primarily caused by Ferrihydrite, a water-formed iron oxide, rather than the previously believed Hematite.

Ferrihydrite forms in cool, water-rich conditions, whereas Hematite forms in dry, warm environments. This finding suggests that Mars once had liquid water, which may have supported life. The study also uncovered hydrogen bound to iron-rich minerals, providing further evidence of past interactions with liquid water on the planet.

Mars:

• Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest in the Solar System, after Mercury.
• About half the size of Earth, it is home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano, and has two moons, Phobos and Deimos.
• Mars completes one rotation every 24.6 hours, making its day almost identical in length to Earth's (23.9 hours). Martian days are called sols.
• A year on Mars lasts 669.6 sols, equivalent to 687 Earth days.
• Its axial tilt is 25 degrees, similar to Earth’s tilt of 23.4 degrees, resulting in seasons on Mars, though they are longer than Earth's.

Important Mars Missions:

• NASA's Mars Mission
• India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)
• UAE’s Hope Mission
• Tianwen-1: China’s Mars Mission

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