If you look at Mars in the sky, you can see an orange to blood-red coloration that is already noticeable with the naked eye, which is why it was named Mars (or Ares), the god of war. The cause of the red coloration is the chemical composition of its surface: it has a very high proportion of iron oxides, commonly known as rust. The fine iron oxide dust covers the soil and is additionally distributed in the thin atmosphere of the planet due to wind.