VIVA – Mars known as Planet Red so typical. The color of the planet can even be seen with the naked eye from Earth when it appears in the night sky as if it were a red star. So, what causes Mars to be red? That’s because there are two main reasons, namely the surface and the atmosphere.
Its surface is covered in particles of iron oxide, the same compound that gives rust its red color. Mars has so much iron oxide on its surface because the planet is smaller and has weaker gravity than Earth.
When the planets formed about four billion years ago, their surfaces would have been made of a ‘sea of hell’ composed of molten rock and metals, including naturally occurring iron oxide, according to the website. Newsweek, Tuesday, September 21, 2021.
The Earth’s larger size and stronger gravity put this molten rock under higher pressure in its early days, resulting in higher temperatures. This turns the iron oxide into a liquid and causes it to sink into the planet’s core.
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