Mars Coloring Pages

The 4th planet in our solar system with red land. Mars is the 4th closest planet to the Sun in our solar system. It is about half the size of Earth. Its surface is covered with rocks and sand that have iron oxide (rust) in them. That is why Mars shines bright red when you look at it from far away!

Where its Japanese and English names come from

The name of Mars comes from its fiery red color.

• English name: In English, it is called Mars.

• Where the English name comes from: It comes from Mars, the god of war in Roman myths. Its glowing red light in the night sky made people think of blood on a battlefield. So, they gave it the name of the war god.

• Where the Japanese name comes from: In Japan, people linked its red color to fire. That is why it is called "Fire Star".

The surface and world of Mars

Giant volcanoes and huge canyons! The land on Mars has landforms that are much bigger than anything on Earth.

• Olympus Mons: This is the largest volcano in the solar system. It is about 27 kilometers high. That is more than 3 times taller than Mount Everest!

• Valles Marineris: This is a giant canyon that is over 4,000 kilometers long.

• Polar ice caps: The north and south poles of Mars have white spots made of water ice and dry ice. They change size with the seasons!

A world like Earth

• Length of a day: One full spin on Mars takes about 24 hours and 40 minutes. It is almost the same as Earth!

• It has seasons: Mars tilts as it spins, just like Earth. So, Mars has four seasons too! But it is far from the Sun, so it is a very cold world. The average temperature is about minus 60 degrees Celsius!

Here are some tips to make Mars and its red land look super cool!

Color with Red and Orange Layers

• Base Color: First, try coloring the whole thing with bright orange or light brown.

• Red Land: Layer red or vermilion on top! This gives it a rusty red feel just like real Mars.

Add Giant Landforms

• Adding Shadows: Try using dark brown to add shadows to line-like parts (valleys) and high parts (mountains). It will show off the power of Mount Olympus and giant valleys!

Leave the South and North Poles White

• Showing Polar Caps: The top and bottom of Mars have white ice. Leave those parts white without coloring. It makes a great accent and looks so real!

Show the Thin Atmosphere

• Pink Sky: The sky on Mars is not blue like Earth. It often looks like pinkish brown in the daytime! Softly add a light color around the edge of Mars to give it a true Mars feel.

Why is Mars called the "Red Planet"?

Mars looks red because there is a lot of iron in the soil on its surface. That iron mixed with the air and rusted, which makes the whole planet look reddish-brown. It is like a big ball of rusty iron!

It has the highest mountain in the solar system

Mars has a huge mountain called "Olympus Mons." It is over 20,000 meters high! That is about three times higher than Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. The base is so wide that all of Japan could fit right inside it.

Is it similar to Earth?

One day on Mars is about "24 hours and 40 minutes," which is almost the same as Earth. Also, it tilts a little bit as it spins just like Earth, so it has four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. But it is a very cold world, and winter can drop below minus 100 degrees!

The mystery of the blue sunset

Sunsets on Earth are red, but sunsets on Mars are actually a bluish color! Because the air is thin and fine dust floats around, light spreads out differently than it does on Earth. Maybe you will get to see a blue sunset one day!