You guessed it, Erin Ivy. Congratulations! That destination with the icy white cap and the cozy lap for visiting rovers, two  moons whizzing across its night sky, the highest mountain and longest canyon in the solar system, and dunes the size of a football field, is our second closest neighbor, the fourth planet from the sun…

MARS

One more thing that just may be important. There’s water on Mars. Scientists believe there were once ancient seas covering part of the Martian surface.  But it’s not there now – at least not that we can see. Perhaps as the atmosphere thinned, much of the water evaporated into space. But not all.  Some water remains frozen at the Martian poles (that’s what makes that polar ice cap white).  And more water may be trapped underground.  In fact, the rover Spirit accidentally uncovered evidence of liquid H2O activity just inches beneath the surface. And NASA photographs show signs that water flowed on the surface of Mars very recently.  Since 1999.  Look.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

And where there’s water, there may be LIFE!

So keep your eyes and ears open as we continue to explore Mars.  There may be some lively discoveries!

And come back next post for your day 1 picture clue to get you started on the puzzling question: Where in the Solar System is Destination Nine?

Newcomers: To join in, check out Space Game Rules!