What is Red Planet Day, and what is its significance with Mars?

Mars, the fourth planet in our solar system (and a potential candidate for human colonisation sometime in the future) is often referred to as the Red Planet. The planet has hardly any air, coupled with a terrain that’s made of a sandy desert. 

There are indications of activities on the planet in the past, with volcanic eruptions, seasons, canyons, polar ice caps, all being a part of the planet’s geography. It is believed that Mars became inhospitable around 4 billion years ago, when its magnetic field died out and the atmosphere eroded.

So, what is Red Planet Day?

The Mariner 4 was the first spacecraft to arrive on Mars on 28th November, 1964. This day is known as Red Planet Day and marks mankind’s first excursion onto the planet. Red Planet Day is celebrated every year. 

The Mariner 4 was built specifically to facilitate space exploration in the future, and its primary purpose was to conduct fly-bys and gather data on the planet. It completed its mission in 8 months, allowing scientists to begin forming hypotheses about the red planet. These findings can be considered the basis of what is now a mountain of research on that planet. 

More facts about Mars

In spite of the fact that the planet died 4 billion years ago, it is still considered the most viable option for human colonisation. The weather on the planet is neither too hot or cold, and there are trace amounts of hydrogen and oxygen still found in the atmosphere. The planet also has ample sunshine. Finding a way to jumpstart organic oxygen production on the planet would be one way to start making it a second home for Earthlings.

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Kajoli Anand Puri

Kajoli is a tech-enthusiast with a soft-spot for smart kitchen and home appliances. She loves exploring gadgets and gizmos that are designed to make life simpler, but also secretly fears a world run by AI. Oh wait, we’re already there. View Full Profile