The Ultimate Mars Quiz for Kids
Test your Red Planet knowledge with 15 questions. Pick an answer to see whether you got it right and why. Your score appears at the end.
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Question 1 of 15
Why does Mars look red?
Why? Mars's soil is full of iron, and over billions of years that iron has rusted — the same chemistry that turns a bike orange when it's left outside.
Question 2 of 15
How many moons does Mars have?
Why? Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos. Both are small and shaped like potatoes.
Question 3 of 15
What is the name of the tallest volcano on Mars?
Why? Olympus Mons is about 22 km tall — nearly three times the height of Mount Everest. It's the tallest volcano anywhere in the solar system.
Question 4 of 15
How long is one day on Mars?
Why? A Mars day — called a 'sol' — is 24 hours and 37 minutes. Just 37 minutes longer than an Earth day.
Question 5 of 15
How long is one year on Mars?
Why? A Mars year is 687 Earth days, almost twice as long as an Earth year. That's how long Mars takes to circle the Sun.
Question 6 of 15
Mars's atmosphere is mostly made of which gas?
Why? Mars's air is 95% carbon dioxide. There's almost no oxygen, so humans would not be able to breathe it.
Question 7 of 15
What is a 'sol'?
Why? A sol is the name scientists use for one Martian day, which lasts 24 hours and 37 minutes.
Question 8 of 15
Which of these names is NOT a Mars rover?
Why? Voyager is a famous spacecraft, but it never went to Mars — it explored the outer planets. Curiosity, Opportunity and Perseverance are all real Mars rovers.
Question 9 of 15
Why is Phobos doomed?
Why? Phobos is slowly getting closer to Mars at about 1.8 meters every century. In about 50 million years, Mars's gravity will tear Phobos apart.
Question 10 of 15
What color is the daytime sky on Mars?
Why? Mars's daytime sky looks pinkish or butterscotch-colored because of all the fine red dust constantly floating in the thin Martian air.
Question 11 of 15
Mars sunsets are what color?
Why? Mars sunsets are blue — the opposite of Earth! The fine dust in Mars's air scatters blue light forward toward the Sun, so the sky around the setting Sun looks blue.
Question 12 of 15
How tall is Olympus Mons compared to Mount Everest?
Why? Olympus Mons is about 22 km tall, while Mount Everest is 8.85 km. So Olympus Mons is nearly three times taller.
Question 13 of 15
Which mission found the rock 'Cheyava Falls' that may contain signs of ancient life?
Why? Perseverance drilled the Cheyava Falls rock in 2024 in Jezero Crater. The samples are sealed in the rover and will be brought back to Earth by the future Mars Sample Return mission.
Question 14 of 15
Which planet has the largest dust storms in the solar system?
Why? Mars's dust storms can sometimes grow until they cover the entire planet for months at a time. The 2018 global dust storm was so big it ended NASA's Opportunity rover.
Question 15 of 15
What was the name of the helicopter that flew on Mars?
Why? Ingenuity made history as the first powered aircraft ever to fly on another planet. It made 72 flights between 2021 and January 2024 before retiring.
Quiz complete!
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