• Question: Why are there many different coloured planets (like Mars is red, etc)?

    Asked by SophieW :) to Heather, Helen, Hugh, Jane, Julian on 12 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Julian Onions

      Julian Onions answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      It depends largely what they are made of
      Mars is red because of the iron oxidising to a rust type material on the surface, and thats what we see.
      Neptune is blue because of the methane in its atmosphere.
      Jupiter has bands of material, including some organic chemicals which gives the bands different colours.
      So really it depends what they are made of, and rocky and gas giants tend to be made of different stuff

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Yep – the planets that look blue, like Neptune, are made from Hydrogen, Helium and Methane (actually a lot of that in cow farts.. it’s a gas). The red colour on Mars is formed exactly the same was as if you were to leave your bike outside when it’s raining, and it goes rusty. Sometimes you can see this same red when you have Iron Oxide in certain rocks.

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