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Mars in the Solar System
Mars is the outermost of the "inner planets," fourth from the Sun. Although they differ in many ways, the inner planets are all made of rock and metal. In contrast, the outer planets are made primarily of gas and ices. With the exception of tiny Pluto, the ninth planet from the sun, they are much larger than the inner planets.
Between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is a broad "asteroid belt" containing thousands of small, rocky worlds orbiting the Sun. These asteroids are thought to be leftover matter that was unable to combine into a single object because the
gravitational pull of giant Jupiter was too great.
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