Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest in the solar system. It is a rocky, dry world with an iconic red appearance that has captivated the human imagination.
The rusty red color of Mars is likely due to the presence of iron minerals in its regolith — loose dust and rock covering its surface. These oxidize and create the red hue.
The Romans
In the ancient world, the Romans had a very complicated government called the Republic. They had a system of written laws, a constitution and a balance of powers.
The Romans were very powerful people and they ruled for hundreds of years, first as the Republic then as the Roman Empire. They ruled over many different countries in Europe.
Mars was named after the Roman god of war, Mars. The Greeks also named it after their version of the god, Ares.
Scientists think that Mars was once covered with water like Earth is today. They believe that the planet had a magnetic field but no longer does.
The Romans are known for their great accomplishments in technology and art. Their inventions and discoveries benefited the rest of the world and they were a major influence on modern day culture.
The Babylonians
Mars, the fourth planet from the sun, is a dry and rocky world whose iconic red color has earned it the nickname the Red Planet. Astronomers and space travelers have long adored the planet, and its mystique and many mysteries remain an inspiration for both scientific inquiry and human imagination.
The Babylonians, who named Mars the planet, were a kingdom of northern Mesopotamia (the territory of present-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia). Its capital was Nineveh, what is now Mosul in Iraq.
Hammurabi, king of Babylon from about 1616 to 1189 BCE, ruled over a kingdom that had western connections, historian Gwendolyn Leick wrote in her book “The Babylonians: An Introduction.” In the 19th century BCE, Babylon became a center of scribal learning and a trading hub.
Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon from 604-561 BCE, rebuilt the city and built one of its most famous wonders, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Despite the fact that archaeologists have turned up scant evidence of these gardens, they were celebrated by the Babylonians and other ancient cultures as a symbol of their glory and prosperity.
The Greeks
The planet Mars is fourth from the sun and was named for its reddish color, which to ancient people evoked bloodshed. It was also thought to be a symbol of Mars’ passionate nature.
Another name for Mars was Ares, the Greek god of war. He was a savage and brutal god who was concerned only with war.
He was not popular or well-known with the Greeks, but he was revered by the Romans. He was one of the most important Roman gods, second only to Jupiter.
When the Greeks began studying the stars, they noticed that certain bright celestial objects moved across the sky in relation to other stars. They called them ‘planetes asteres’.
The Europeans
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, orbiting it at an average distance of 142 million miles (228 million km) or 1.5 astronomical units (AU). It takes sunlight about 13 minutes to reach the Red Planet.
The European Space Agency, NASA’s European equivalent, released a showcase video capturing stunning images of Mars taken by its imaging satellite Mars Express over fifteen years. The animation is designed to give viewers a feel for the colors that are present on the Red Planet and its ability to capture human imagination.
The red planet has captured our imagination since the 1800s when people first saw canal-like features on its surface. Some believed that these were evidence of an alien race or civilization that might have inhabited Mars. These stories became part of our culture and are still popular today, especially in science fiction movies like “The Martian” and “Mars Needs a Brain.”