Hi kids, I am Astronaut Krakoff and I will be taking you on an extraordinary journey to the amazing planet, Mars.

Mars, also known as the Red Planet is the most explored planet in the Solar System. Since the beginning of the use of the telescope in the early 1600s, people have been captivated by this planet. Through the telescope, ancient astronomers had a glimpse of what appeared to be season changes and water canals on Mars. These glimpses led people to believe that there was life on Mars, perhaps even very advanced intelligent life, more intelligent than us, earthlings.

It was not until the 1960s that earthlings managed to send space shuttles into space to find out more about the Red Planet. So, what did astronauts like me find?

What Does Mars Look Like?

 Many of us are already familiar with the Martian landscape. We have all seen the images of its rocky surface but kids, did you know that Mars also has immense dust storms and tornadoes much larger than any on earth? Mars is also a really cold place.

With dust storms, tornadoes and freezing temperatures, Mars does not seem to be a nice place to live in or even visit. You couldn’t be further from the truth. This planet has one of the most beautiful and amazing geology.

Mars is home to the largest mountains in the Solar System. If you have ever been to the Grand Canyon , you would surely be awed by its brown, yellow, red and white cliffs. The Grand Canyon is a mini-version of the canyon in Mars.

Amazing formations such as the Grand Canyon were formed by the forces of wind and water. It is very likely that the canyon in Mars was also formed by these forces. Since there is the existence of water which supports life, does this mean that life exists on Mars?

Life on Mars

 One of the main reasons why the planet Mars has gained so much interest and attention from people all over the world is because we are curious about whether or not there are life forms on the planet.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence of that although there seems to be evidence found that indicate that there was once life on Mars.

The Future of Mars

It is very possible that 10 000 years from now, humans will be able to live on Mars without even the need to wear spacesuits. This is because of a science known as Teraforming. Teraforming is when you change a planet to make its environment like Earth. This may sound unbelievable, but it is an actual science and is actually possible today. However, the task will take a long time to complete.

Before Mars is teraformed, it will probably first be home to scientific colonies living in enclosed shelters on the planet. These colonies will help put into place the first steps of teraforming. They will also likely be the base for future space expeditions to other planets.

Some Mars Facts

-The atmosphere of Mars is thinner than Earth’s and is mostly made up of carbon dioxide. Only a small fraction of the atmosphere is made up of oxygen.

- Mars is more like Earth than any other planet in the Solar System.

- 1 Martian year = 687 Earth days

- Maximum distance from Earth is 387 million kilometres

- Temperature low = -100 degrees Celsius

- Temperature high = 0 degrees Celsius

Mars and Beyond

NASA’s astronomers have discovered a possible Earth-like planet forming 424 light years away, using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope.

Scientists have discovered a huge belt of warm dust that is enough to build a Mars-sized planet or larger, swirling around a distant star slightly larger than our sun. These scientists suspect that this massive dust belt is clumping together to form planets. Will it form a planet like Earth that is capable of sustaining life?