Today is RED PLANET DAY: Let's Celebrate The Planet Mars!

Red Planet Day: A Celebration of Mars

Every year on November 28, we celebrate Red Planet Day, honouring our fascination with Mars, a planet that has captivated human imagination and scientific inquiry for centuries. Thanks to images sent back by rovers, we now know Mars is red because of iron oxide, or rust, coating its surface. This day reflects on humanity's enduring curiosity and the strides we've made in exploring this dusty neighbour in our solar system.

The Story Behind Red Planet Day

The fascination with Mars dates back millennia. Around 400 BCE, Babylonians began observing and recording celestial events, naming the planet Nergal -the King of Conflicts, likely associating its reddish hue with blood and war. This connection persisted through Greek and Roman mythology, where Mars and Ares were revered as gods of war.

As humanity dreamed of interstellar travel, Mars became the centrepiece of science fiction. Writers and filmmakers imagined walking on its rusty terrain, speculating about its potential to host water—and possibly life. Early flyby missions revealed polar ice caps, debunking myths of ancient civilisations but fueling our quest for knowledge.

Red Planet Day commemorates the launch of Mariner 4 on November 28, 1964, the first successful spacecraft to send back images of Mars. This historic moment laid the groundwork for the advanced rover and orbiter missions that followed.

Notable Milestones in Mars Exploration

4th Century BCE: Babylonians begin keeping records of Mars' movements in the night sky.

1964: The Mariner 4 mission launches, performing the first successful flyby and capturing images of Mars' surface.

1997: NASA's Sojourner rover rolls onto Martian soil, carried by the Pathfinder lander.

2020: The Perseverance rover embarks on its journey, carrying the first helicopter designed for flight in Mars’ thin atmosphere.

Fun Mars Facts

1. Drops of Mars: Tiny traces of Martian atmosphere have been found inside meteorites that originated from Mars and crash-landed on Earth.

2. Dusty Days: Mars experiences massive dust storms that can engulf the entire planet for months.

3. Sky High: Olympus Mons, the tallest mountain in the solar system, is a shield volcano on Mars and may still be active.

4. Landmass Parity: Mars and Earth have similar land areas, but Mars' surface gravity is just 37% of Earth’s, letting you jump three times higher.

5. Colourful Skies: On Mars, sunsets are blue, while the daytime sky appears pinkish-red—opposite to Earth’s sky!

How to Celebrate Red Planet Day

Read a Mars-Themed Book: Dive into classics like Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles or Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land. Prefer nonfiction? Explore the latest articles about Mars missions and scientific discoveries.

Watch a Mars Movie: From The Martian starring Matt Damon to The Space Between Us, Mars has inspired countless films. Or, let your imagination run wild and write your own story about life on the Red Planet.

Learn About Mars Exploration: Discover fascinating mission details, like how Perseverance plans to collect and seal samples for future retrieval missions.

Why We Love Red Planet Day

1. Inspires Creativity: Thinking about Mars fuels dreams of interstellar travel and life beyond Earth, sparking our imagination.

2. Advances Science: Mars exploration has led to innovations like Velcro and countless other technologies with real-world applications.

3. Encourages Long-Term Goals: The meticulous planning behind Mars missions serves as a reminder to work steadily toward our personal aspirations.