Why Is Mars Red?

Mars is red beacuse there is iron oxide on the surface of Mars, and iron oxide is created when iron rusts, thus giving Mars a rusty red color.

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, it is also called the Red Planet, and was named after the Roman god of war. It has been conjectured that the planet was named after the god of war because blood is red. The first four planets from the sun are called the terrestrial planets, meaning they are composed mostly of rock. The others are Merury, Venus and Earth. Mars is a very cold planet, rarely getting above freezing, and has two moons. 

Mars was formed in the same way as other planets, starting in the solar nebula, 4.5 million years ago. The nebula was a gigantic cloud of gas, dust and other elements.  This nebula, at some point, started to close in on itself. During this time, particles of dust would collide and stick together.

As gravity increased, the clumps pulled in more dust and debris. Soon, they were as big as asteroids, and finally, they became planets. The central core of Mars is made of iron, nickel, and sulfur and is 900 miles in diameter. It is mostly solid, and that is why Mars has a weak magnetic field. The core is enveloped by a rocky layer, or mantle.  he crust is made of basalt, or volcanic rock, due to the volcanic activity eons ago. The surface is covered in iron oxide, which gives Mars its reddish color.  

Iron Oxide

Scientists believe that the oxidation of iron started very early in the evolution of the planet. There were a large amount of floods during that time which carved out the channels that we have observed in many places on the planet's surface. Rocks with iron in them would have been eroded by the flowing water, and the oxygen in that water would have oxidized the iron and turned it to rust. This rust would have then been spread out all over the planet by way of raindrops.  

Mythology

The Egyptians named the Red Planet Horus the Red.

One of the names given to Mars in India translates as "burning coal". In Mesopotamia of ancient times, Mars was associated with the god Nergal, who was lord of the underworld, and also had a connection to fire, disease, and war.

Humans have always been fascinated with Mars, and when telescopes in the 1880s saw what looked like canals on Mars, some were convinced that they were built by aliens. When "War of the Worlds" was broadcast in 1938, it panicked a lot of people. We know now that there are no such things as Martians.