The red colour we see in images of Mars is the result of iron rusting. Rocks and soil on the surface of Mars contained a dust composed mostly of iron and small amounts of other elements such as chlorine and sulhpur. The rocks and soil were eroded by wind and the dust was blown across the surface by ancient volcanoes. Mars’ iron oxide would have formed a long time ago, when the planet had more liquid water. This rusty material was transported around the planet in dust clouds, covering everything in a layer of rust. In fact, there are dust storms on Mars today that can rise up and consume the entire planet, obscuring the entire surface from our view. To those saying there's no water on Mars, recent evidence may prove you wrong. Researchers on the Curiosity Mars rover's science team believe they have evidence that there is liquid water on the Red Planet, lurking just beneath the surface of our neighbor's rouge surface. The water in the Martian soil seems to gather intermittently and is a very salty brine, making it perhaps suitable for everyone's favorite retro pet -- sea monkeys! Very, very hearty sea monkeys that could withstand the superharsh environment on the fourth planet, that is. This is all possible thanks to perchlorate, a type of salt found on Mars that has two helpful qualities -- it is essentially able to lure the water out of thin Martian air and also lowers its freezing point, forming a brief, wet overnight party beneath the surface that then dries up again in the morning when the sun heats things up. The More You Know! Da, da, daaa. *Starry rainbow swoosh*