The Red Planet is our closest neighbor in our solar system, and this time on The Children’s Hour we explore Mars. Our guest is a scientist who drives the Mars Rover. We learn about what makes Mars red, if there’s the possibility of life on Mars, and what the Martian landscape can tell us about our own climate here on planet Earth. Get spaced out with us and learn about Mars!

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Have you ever looked up and spotted a bright red dot in the night sky? That’s Mars — our neighbor in the solar system, and a planet full of mysteries. On this episode of The Children’s Hour, we journey to the Red Planet with planetary volcanologist Dr. Larry Crumpler from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. He works directly with NASA’s Perseverance Rover, which is exploring Mars right now!

We learn why Mars is red, discover its enormous volcanoes and deep canyons, and find out what makes it similar to Earth. Dr. Crumpler explains how rovers land, what they do once they’re there, and how they help us look for signs of life. We hear about Mars’ two tiny moons, its wild dust storms, and why it’s so dry. You’ll also discover how scientists might make oxygen on Mars and what it would take to send people there in the future.

Our Kids Crew wonders if there’s life on Mars, how rovers survive the cold, and what the first humans might find. With music about space and plenty of questions, this show is your ticket to an out-of-this-world adventure. Find pictures, links, and learning materials for classrooms and families at ChildrensHour.org — look for “Mars.”

The Children’s Hour is produced by The Children’s Hour Inc., a New Mexico-based nonprofit. This episode was written and produced by Katie Stone, with production help from Sarah Gabrielli and our junior producer Thaniel Lentz. Our show was recorded at Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA by Chad Scheer, and was produced at Sunspot Solar Studio. Amber Shiel writes our learning guides. Our theme music was composed by C.K. Barlow.

The Children’s Hour is distributed by Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network.

© 2025 The Children’s Hour Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Please note: not all songs we play can be found in Spotify.