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Roman/Greek names: Mars/Ares
Colour: red, due to rust, iron oxide in soil
Diameter: 4,217 miles
Distance from the sun: min orbit 128 million miles; max 155 million miles
Distance from earth: 35 million miles
Orbit time around the sun: 1.88 years
Length of day: 24 hours, 37 minutes
Temperature: -82C to 0C
Satellites: 2 moons (Phobos and Deimos)
Atmosphere: 95.3% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, 0.13% oxygen
Geographical features: cratered terrain, mountains, canyon systems, river beds, dune fields, volcanoes
Olympus Mons is the highest peak, not only on Mars but in our solar system, rising 14 miles above the surrounding plains. Valles Marineris, a canyon, reaches depths of 4 miles.
Colour: mostly blue, due to water coverage
Diameter: 7,962 miles
Distance from the sun: min orbit 91 million miles; max 94.5 million miles
Orbit time around the sun: 1 year
Length of day: 24 hours
Temperature: -87C to 57.7C
Satellites: 1 moon
Atmosphere: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases
Geographical features: oceans, mountains, rivers, deserts, volcanoes, earthquake faults
Mount Everest, the highest peak, rises to 29,035 feet above sea level (5.5 miles). The Grand Canyon is less than a mile deep.
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