Just as there are giant planets in the sun's family---Jupiter and Saturn---there are also "dwarf" planets. These small planets are called asteroids. Asteroids circle the sun in a ring between Mars...
The red planet
At night, you can sometimes see a bright "star" that shines with a reddish gleam. It is Mars, the "red planet," named after the Roman god of war. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun ---about 142...