Chart skill
S k i l l s Pa g e
Name: _____________________________________________________
Earth vs. Mars
Mars
Diameter of planet (length of
the line passing through the
center of a circle)
About 7,926 miles
About 4,222 miles—
or roughly half the
size of Earth
Position in solar system
Third planet from sun
Fourth planet from sun
Average surface temperature
59 degrees F
-85 degrees F
Moons
1
2, named Phobos and
Deimos
Distance from sun
93 million miles
142 million miles
Length of day
23 hours, 56 minutes
24 hours, 37 minutes
Land surface
Two-thirds water
Covered by rusty dust
Supports life
Yes
Stay Tuned
Skills
Earth
Reproducible
1. Which planet is farther from the sun, Earth or Mars? ______________________
2. The average surface temperature of Mars is how much
lower than Earth’s average surface temperature? ______________________
3. Does Earth or Mars have a longer day? ______________________
pa g e
©2008 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.
Humans have been studying Mars for centuries. One reason is that Mars is our
neighbor. The planets are similar in many ways. Each has an atmosphere, or a
layer of gas surrounding it. Earth and Mars both have clouds, volcanoes, and
icy polar regions. But the average surface temperature of Mars is much colder
than on Earth. And that’s not the only difference between the two planets. Use
the charts below to compare Earth and Mars. Then answer the questions.
4. How many moons does Mars have? ______________________
5. What is the diameter of Mars? ______________________
How much greater is Earth’s diameter? ______________________
BONUS: If Mars could sustain life, would you want to live on the Red Planet? ______
Use what you’ve learned from the chart above to support your answer. ___________
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SCHOLASTIC NEWS / Edition 4 / OCTOBER 13, 2008
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