Describe the characteristics of the planet Mars.

Mars is half the diameter of Earth. The planet’s atmosphere is very rarefied, about 95% of carbon dioxide, and the pressure is about 100 times less than Earth’s. Conditions on Mars are rather harsh: the average surface temperature is -60C. At the poles, the temperature drops to -150C. The pressure drop creates conditions for the formation of strong winds and dust storms. Under such conditions, not only water freezes, but also carbon dioxide, turning into “dry ice”. Studies of the chemical composition of the Martian soil showed a high content of silicon and iron, which explains the reddish color of the planet.