Red Planet Day 2025 celebrated to commemorate the launch of Mariner 4.

Important Days | Dated: 28 Nov 2025

Red Planet Day is observed annually on 28 November to commemorate the launch of the Mariner 4 spacecraft by NASA in 1964. This was the first successful flyby of Mars that returned the first-ever close-up images of the Martian surface. The day celebrates humanity's achievements in space exploration and focuses on future missions to the Red Planet, including ISRO's upcoming Mangalyaan-2.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • Mars is known as the "Red Planet" due to the presence of iron oxide (rust) on its surface, which gives it a reddish appearance visible even to the naked eye.
  • The day serves as an educational platform to encourage students and space enthusiasts to learn about the solar system, planetary science, and astrobiology.
  • ISRO is planning its next interplanetary mission, Mangalyaan-2, which aims to land a rover on the Martian surface to study its geology and atmosphere in greater detail.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • Commemorates NASA's Mariner 4 launch in 1964.
  • Mars is called the Red Planet due to Iron Oxide.
  • ISRO's Mangalyaan was India's first Mars mission.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Red Planet Day is observed on November 28 to mark the launch of which spacecraft?

Correct Answer: Mariner 4

🚀 Quick Recap:

About Mars

  • Moons – Phobos and Deimos
  • Position – 4th planet from Sun