Red Planet Day 2022: History, Significance and Facts

By Team Aakash Byju's  28th November 2022

Red Planet Day commemorates the Mariner 4 spacecraft's launch on November 28, 1964.

Did you know? Mars is referred to as the "Red Planet" as it appears slightly reddish due to the red iron oxide prevalent on its surface.

Mariner 4 spacecraft successfully launched on November 28, 1964 on an eight-month voyage to the red planet Mars.

The spacecraft flew past Mars on July 14, 1965, collecting the first close-up photographs.

The images collected from a small tape recorder over a long period showed lunar-type impact craters on Mars.

Mariner 4 remained for about three years in solar orbit, continuing long-term research of Mars' solar wind environment.