The Martian planet is not entirely red. The layer that covers Mars itself has the reddish color buried to just as thin as a few millimeters in depth. The color was induced by the properties of ferric oxides scattered across the planet, which gives the entire planet reddish to orange hues.
Both the surface and the atmospheric region of Mars can be observed from space with a warm, recognizable color. Combined, the physical features have earned it the only red planet title. Its striking hue is an effect of ferric oxide presence. But contrary to popular belief, the entire composition of the Martian orb is not red.
Why is Mars Red?
IN SPACE - JULY 16: In this handout image supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA) on July 16, 2008, The Echus Chasma, one of the largest water source regions on Mars, is pictured from ESA's Mars Express. The data was acquired on September 25, 2005. An impressive cliff, up to 4000 m high, is located in the eastern part of Echus Chasma. Gigantic water falls may once have plunged over these cliffs on to the valley floor. The remarkably smooth valley floor was later flooded by basaltic lava.
One evidence that could convince people is the trials left by the Martian rovers. When the soil on the surface is scratched off, dust and rocks repel from the actual ground. Through this machine-induced displacement, people can see other hues aside from red. Moreover, several areas on the planet's surface were found to have a red layer that is significantly thinner compared to other terrains.
It is no surprise that the redness of Mars is shallow. Numerous studies have proven that the planet has minerals and chemicals aside from ferric oxide that allow minor colors to appear.
In various stories of ancient civilization, the obsession of poets with the unique color of Mars is evident. For example, the Sanskrit word Mangala that translates to Mars, is considered as a definition of red. In ancient Egypt, the word 'har decher' directly translates to 'red one.'
When the advancements from astronomical studies expanded, scientists were able to observe Mars through a view far greater than a standard telescope.
Earth's shade is supported by the Rayleigh scattering effect and other factors that make the orb shine with the more dominant color it contains. Combining the light process and the atmospheric sheet allows the planet to exhibit a blue hue when observed outside the space.
In Mars, the atmospheric region is only 0.7 percent of Earth's total sheet. It flunks out the Rayleigh scattering and makes the light particles faint. With that said, the Martian surface is dominated by a red hue. In a report by Big Think, experts presented a wavelength graph that details the distinct spectral radiance, which induces Mars to become full red.
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Different Elements That Make Mars Red
In a separate study published in the journal Science, titled "Global Mineralogical and Aqueous Mars History Derived from OMEGA/Mars Express Data," experts also pointed out that the redness of Mars is backed by the continuous dust winds. The OMEGA instrument examines the specks, and it was found that most of the pieces originate from nanocrystalline red hematite, a lightweight composite that could be displaced easily by Martian winds that typically move around 100 kilometers per hour or less.
The surface of the red planet was also analyzed by the famous Carl Sagan and his colleagues. Based on their study published in the journal Icarus, red dominates the planet due to the short travel distances of dust particles and the concentration of these specks in steeper slopes. Aside from the reddish hue of the ferric oxide, the chemical is also known to have a separate form called magnetite, an iron minerals that come in black colors.
In conclusion, the primary color of Mars does not embody the entirety of the planet but rather covers significant regions where oxidation is abundant. Other colors from mineral reactions also make up distinct colors on the planet, but not enough to cover the surface as ferric oxide does.
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