Martian Fun

Did you know that small craters on Mars are named after towns and cities on Earth and large Martian craters are named after famous scientists and science fiction authors?

Some of the scientists and authors that have craters named after them are Isaac Asimov, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Giovanni Cassini, Nicolaus Copernicus, Charles Darwin, and Carl Sagan.

Looking over the list you may have noticed that all the names mentioned above are male. That's because Mars, named after the Roman god of war, is associated with masculinity. But don't worry girls, you did not get left out -- you have your very own planet, Venus! Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty and all the craters on Venus are named after famous women or have female first names.

To download a PDF of the Mars Maze activity pictured above just click on the image or go to:
www.markix.net/fun/mars_maze.html.