What is Mars made of?

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Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and is nicknamed as the red planet.  Many people on Earth have always been fascinated about this neighboring planet whether why it looks the way it is and if life is possible to thrive in it.  In terms of its red facade, the presence of thick oxidized iron in Mar’s surface is the main reason for the rusty or red surface color.  In fact, some people also refer to Mars as the rusty planet because of its surface filled with rust or oxidized iron.

With its thick iron surface, Mars also share similar components to other planets like the Earth.  Aside from the iron oxide coating on the surface, Mars is also made of various mountains and volcanoes. There are also various rivers and valleys with ice caps that have all dried up.  With evidence of water content that existed in Mars at some point in the past, many scientists have considered the possibility of the existence of life forms in this planet.

Beneath the surface, Mars is made of huge iron and sulfur deposits that are covered with a mantle layer similar to that of the Earth.  More iron can be found at Mars’ core and this very well explains the thick layer of iron on its surface.  From the core up the surface, Mars contains huge amounts of iron.  With the presence of other chemicals, the iron deposits on the surface oxidize easily and dry up similar to powdery sands in the desert.  The iron core in Mars though differs from that of the Earth in the sense that it rarely moves.  This simply means that are no tectonic plates and no magnetic field in the planet itself.  These characteristics are enough to increase the amount of radiation the planet can handle which is not a good environment for any life form.

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