The mysteries of the Red Planet will be explored on July 22 when the National Air and Space Museum celebrates "Mars Day!" with a host of fun family activities at the museum's flagship building on the National Mall in Washington.

The annual "Mars Day!" festivities give visitors the chance to learn the latest about our "next door neighbor" from the staff of the museum's Education Division, Space History Division and Center for Earth and Planetary Studies.

Activities will include collecting samples with a robotic arm; a Red Planet quiz show; hands-on study of meteorites; seeing the latest images from the Red Planet -- some in 3-D; children's art workshops; Mars story time; and opportunities to talk one-on-one with museum scientists about recent discoveries. "Mars Day!" is generously supported by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

A schedule for "Mars Day!" activities and links to Mars resource materials can be found at http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/ceps/marsday/index.htm.
"Mars Day!" is held annually to mark the July 1976 landing of Viking 1, the first spacecraft to operate on Mars. A test version of Viking 1 is displayed in the Milestones of Flight gallery at the museum's Mall building.

The National Air and Space Museum building on the Mall is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. It is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (Closed Dec. 25) and admission is free.