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Astronomy basics > Fast Facts: Mars
| Age | About the same age as the Sun: 4.5 billion years |
| Location | Solar system |
| Avg. distance from the Sun | 227,900,000 km (141,600,000 miles) |
| Diameter | 6794 km (4222 miles) |
| Mass | 6.4219 x 1023 kg |
| Orbital period around the Sun | 1.88 Earth years (687 Earth days) |
| Number of moons | Mars has two moons: Deimos and Phobos. |
| Distinguishing features | Known as the Red Planet, Mars has a very thin atmosphere containing mostly carbon dioxide, with nitrogen, argon, and trace amounts of oxygen and water vapor. There is evidence that liquid water flowed on the surface long ago. Now all the water left on the planet is frozen in the polar ice caps or beneath the surface. |
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Ice clouds and dust storms on Mars
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Astronomy basics > Fast Facts: Mars