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You are here: Home / Space / Why Does Mars Appear Red and and What Is the Fine Dust On the Surface of the Planet Mars Made Of?

Why Does Mars Appear Red and and What Is the Fine Dust On the Surface of the Planet Mars Made Of?

May 7, 2020 by Karen Hill

The surface of Mars is covered in a fine dust that is rich in iron oxide, also known as rust.

There are massive winds on the planet that create dust storms, and so a red-pink smog always hangs over it.

Consequently, Mars’s general appearance is red, but powerful telescopes reveal that the surface is multicolored.

Sixty percent of the planet appears red, mostly in the southern hemisphere.

The polar ice caps are white and the hard surface under the red dust appears brown or gray and changes to blue-gray during the Martian summer.

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  • What Is Mars Made Of and Why Doesn't the Planet Mars Have a Magnetic Field Like Earth?
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Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How Do We Know If There Is Life On Mars and Why Did Percival Lowell Believe That Martians Built Canals On Mars?
Next Post: What Is Mars Made Of and Why Doesn’t the Planet Mars Have a Magnetic Field Like Earth? »

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