Learn about Mars
Simple, accurate answers about Mars: how big it is, how far away, how fast rovers drive, what the weather is like and how Mars is mapped.
- How Long Would It Take to Drive Around Mars?Mars is about 21,300 km around the equator. Here is how long a real rover, a game rover and an astronaut on foot would need to drive all the way around.
- How Fast Is a Mars Rover? Speed, Distance and RecordsMars rovers drive at about 0.15 km/h and rarely cover more than a few hundred metres a day. Here is why they are so slow and which rover holds the distance record.
- How Big Is Mars? Size, Surface and Gravity Compared With EarthMars is about half the width of Earth, but its surface area almost equals all of Earth's dry land. The size of Mars, explained simply.
- What Is a Sol? How Long Is a Day on Mars?A sol is a day on Mars, 24 hours 39 minutes and 35 seconds long. Here is how Mars time works, why missions use it and how a Martian year compares.
- What Is the Weather Like on Mars? Temperature, Wind and Dust StormsMars is cold, dry and dusty, with an average temperature around −60 °C and planet-wide dust storms. A simple guide to Martian weather and seasons.
- Every Mars Landing Site on One Map – Where Rovers and Landers Touched DownA list and map of every successful Mars landing site, from Viking 1 in 1976 to Perseverance and Zhurong in 2021, with links to explore each one in 3D.
- How Are Mars Rovers Driven? Planning, Autonomy and Signal DelayNobody steers a Mars rover live. Here is how rover drivers plan each drive, why signal delay makes joysticks useless and how autonomous navigation works.
- How Are Maps of Mars Made? From Viking to HiRISEMars has been mapped from orbit for 50 years. Here is how cameras and lasers like Viking, MOLA, CTX and HiRISE built the maps used in Mars games and missions.
- Mars vs Earth – Gravity, Day, Year and Temperature ComparedHow does Mars compare with Earth? A quick side-by-side of gravity, day length, year length, temperature, atmosphere and size.
- How Far Is Mars From Earth? Distance and Signal DelayMars is about 55 to 400 million km from Earth, so radio signals take 3 to 22 minutes each way. Why the distance changes and what it means for rovers.
- Could You Walk on Mars? Gravity, Spacesuits and DistancesWalking on Mars would be easier on your legs but much harder on everything else. What 38% gravity, thin air and huge distances would mean for an astronaut on foot.