what color is mars

The surface color of Mars appears reddish from a distance due to rusty atmospheric dust, but from close up, it looks more of a butterscotch, and other common surface colors include golden, brown, tan, and greenish, depending on the minerals present. The red color of Mars is due to iron oxide, just like the rust that forms on Earth when iron oxidizes, often in the presence of water. The Martian sky may also appear reddish to humans due to the absorption of sunlight in the 0.4-0.6 μm range by dust particles. However, the redness of Mars is only millimeters thick, and the planet is actually more of an orange, tan, and brown color when viewed up close. During a global dust storm, the planet may even appear yellow-orange in the night sky instead of its usual rusty-red color.