| Mars (märz) n. 1. Roman Mythology The god of war. 2. The fourth planet from the sun, having a sidereal period of revolution about the sun of 687 days at a mean distance of 227.9 million kilometers (141.6 million miles) and a mean diameter of approximately 6,794 kilometers (4,222 miles). [Middle English, from Latin M  rs.] |
Mars1
n
(Myth & Legend / Classical Myth & Legend) the Roman god of war, the father of Romulus and Remus Greek counterpart Ares
Mars2
n
1. (Astronomy) Also called the Red Planet the fourth planet from the sun, having a reddish-orange surface with numerous dark patches and two white polar caps. It has a thin atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide, and low surface temperatures. Spacecraft encounters have revealed a history of volcanic activity and running surface water. The planet has two tiny satellites, Phobos and Deimos. Mean distance from sun: 228 million km; period of revolution around sun: 686.98 days; period of axial rotation: 24.6225 hours; diameter and mass: 53.2 and 10.7 per cent that of earth respectively
2. (Chemistry / Alchemy) the alchemical name for iron
| Mars (märz) The fourth planet from the Sun and the third smallest in the solar system, with a diameter about half that of Earth. Mars is the last of the terrestrial or inner planets and has notable similarities to Earth, including polar ice caps and a tilted axis that gives it seasons. However, it is significantly less dense than Earth and has no magnetic field, suggesting that it lacks a metallic core, and its atmosphere, made up mostly of carbon dioxide, is much thinner than Earth's. Mars has no surface water apart from a layer of permanent ice that underlies the seasonally changing caps of frozen carbon dioxide at its poles; there is, however, clear evidence of earlier water flows in the form of channels, outwashes, and canyons. Other surface features include numerous craters, especially in the southern hemisphere, along with very large volcanoes and extensive windblown dunes. Mar's reddish color is due to the abundance of hematite in its surface rocks. Its two small, irregular moons, Phobos and Deimos, may be asteroids captured earlier by gravitational attraction. See Table at solar system. |
Mars
Astronomy. a topographical description of the planet Mars.
Astronomy. the observation and study of the planet Mars. — areologist, n. — areologic, areological, adj.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Mars - a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color; "Mars has two satellites"solar system - the sun with the celestial bodies that revolve around it in its gravitational field |
| 2. |  Mars - (Roman mythology) Roman god of war and agriculture; father of Romulus and Remus; counterpart of Greek AresRoman mythology - the mythology of the ancient Romans |
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