1. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and is often referred to as the "Red Planet" due to its reddish appearance in the night sky.
2. Mars is the second closest planet to Earth, after Venus.
3. Mars has a thin atmosphere composed primarily of carbon dioxide.
4. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, and the longest canyon, Valles Marineris.
5. Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are thought to be captured asteroids.
6. Mars has a day and year that are similar in length to Earth's, with a day lasting 24 hours and 39 minutes and a year lasting 687 Earth days.
7. Mars has the potential to support life, as it has water in the form of ice and signs of past liquid water on its surface.
8. The first successful flyby of Mars was by NASA's Mariner 4 in 1965, and the first successful landing on Mars was by the Viking 1 lander in 1976.
9. NASA's current mission to Mars, the Mars 2020 mission, includes the Perseverance Rover and the Ingenuity helicopter, which is the first aircraft to fly on another planet.
10. There is ongoing scientific study and exploration of Mars by various space agencies, with the goal of eventually sending humans to the planet.