A lot of people are excited over NASA's Curiosity Mars mission.   But, while we're on the topic, here are some other interesting facts about space that you may not have known:

• The red color of Mars is due to the oxidized (rusted) iron in its soil.
  
• One light year is about 6 trillion miles. 
  
• The area surrounding a black hole in which light is no longer visible is called the 'Event Horizon'
• The Drake equation is a mathematical equation used to estimate the number of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy - the estimate is in the millions!
• The full cost of one space suit is roughly $11 million
• One day on Mercury is equal to about 59 days on Earth.
• The universe is roughly 15 billion years old according to most estimates - while the earth is about 4.54 billion years old.
• Robert Goddard launched the very first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926.
• The largest moon in the Solar System is the Jupiter’s moon Ganymede
• For an object to be launched into space, it's speed must be greater than the gravitational pull of Earth  - this is known as 'escape velocity.'