Mars appears reddish in Earth’s night sky. The planet was named after the Roman god of war because its color symbolizes fire, blood, and war. Close-up photographs show that the Martian surface is a rusty red color. This is because there are iron compounds in the rocks and soil.

Mars has polar ice caps, vast sandy deserts, heavily cratered regions, and high volcanic ridges. It boasts the biggest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons, and the biggest canyon system, Valles Marineris.