There is another planet that can be seen easily from the earth. This planet is Mars. If you look at Mars through a telescope, you would see that this planet looks like a red ball. Pictures of Mars have shown that this color comes from the dust which covers most of the planet. You would also see lines on Mars. The lines were once thought to be canals which carried water. But there seems to be no water on Mars. These lines may be made up of rows of craters.
            Pictures from spacecraft have shown some other things about Mars. This planet has large volcanoes. It also seems to have seasons. During some seasons, the wind on Mars blows the dust every day. Mars also has day and night.
            Mars does have an atmosphere, but its atmosphere is mostly nitrogen. Much of Mars appears to be a desert. Powerful telescopes have noted white caps at the poles of Mars. They are believed to be ice and snow. During the spring, these polar icecaps appear to melt. Blue-green areas appear on the surface of Mars. Later, these areas turn brown. Then, as winter comes, the polar caps reappear.
            There has been much curiosity about those blue-green areas. Scientists know these areas are not water because water reflects light very well. These areas do not. Could they be plants? Plants need water, carbon dioxide, and oxygen, which are present on Mars. Scientists believe the blue-green areas on Mars may have some plants like the lichens and mosses which grow on earth. Lichens and mosses can grow where there is little soil. Some lichens can grow on rocks.
            Period of revolution: 687 days. Period of rotation: 24 hours, 37 minutes, 23 seconds. Main components of atmosphere: Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, oxygen, carbon monoxide. Known moons: 2. Temperatures: Day -23°C;
Night -101°C