On the eve of the 249th anniversary of American independence, NASA on Tuesday showcased a patriotic image of Old Glory as ...

China’s Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission could bring Red Planet rocks back to Earth as early as 2031—years ahead of ...

By discovering carbonate rocks, NASA's Mars rovers may have unlocked the key to understanding the fate of the Red Planet's ...

Mars Ingenuity helicopter's 59th flight was captured by the Perseverance rover's Left Mastcam-Z camera. Credit: Credit: Space ...

Elon Musk’s vision to colonize Mars might sound like the plot of a science fiction novel, but it’s quickly becoming a reality. With his private space exploration company, SpaceX, Musk has set his ...

Scheming invaders. Benevolent vegetarians. Climate refugees. As scientific exploration has advanced, so have creative interpretations of the red planet and its potential residents.

So in a way, the ancient connection between the planet Mars and blood wasn’t completely wrong. Rust, which is a common form of iron oxide found here on Earth, also often has a reddish color.

The question of life on Mars is a complex one. While there's currently no definitive evidence of life on the Red Planet, scientists continue to explore the possibility.

For centuries Mars has been called "the Red Planet" and there's a scientific reason why. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Observing Mars with probes If you look closely at pictures of Mars taken by rovers on its surface, you can see that most of the planet isn't purely red, but more of a rusty brown or tan color.

“Jezero Crater is one of the best studied sites on Mars,” Wray said. “If we are just now identifying a volcano here, imagine how many more could be on Mars.” ...