Mars Position and Visibility Tonight
Is Mars Visible Tonight?
From your location, Mars is visible from before midnight until sunrise. The current position, altitude, direction, and tonight’s rise and set times are shown below.
When Is the Best Time to See Mars Tonight?
The earliest practical time to observe Mars tonight is around 02:55, when it is already about 39° above the horizon. It reaches its highest point of about 53° around 04:08.
When Is Mars’s Next Opposition?
The next opposition of Mars is on February 20. Around opposition, the planet is opposite the Sun in the sky and is generally at its best for observing.
Where is Mars right now?
Mars visibility on 2026-10-03
Mars rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| Mars transit | 06:43 | 73° |
| Mars set | 13:49 | |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 18:15 | -32° |
Moonrise, 56.5% illuminated  | 21:14 | -22° |
| Mars rise | 23:35 | |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 03:38 | 47° |
| Twilight end (−12°) | 04:08 | 53° |
| Civil sunrise | 04:39 | 59° |
| Sunrise | 05:06 | 64° |
| Moonset | 12:53 | 10° |
Track Mars position throughout the night
← 3 October 2026 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
Mars Moon Positions
Mars Map
Mars Features
Utopia Planitia: A large plain within the largest recognized impact basin on Mars, it is notable for its smooth surface and the location of the Viking 2 landing site.
Hellas Planitia: An enormous impact basin over 2,300 km in diameter and 7 km deep, making it one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system.
Syrtis Major Planum: A dark region easily visible from Earth, Syrtis Major is an ancient volcanic plateau rich in iron and magnesium silicates.
Discover even more Martian features with our interactive, high-resolution Mars map
Upcoming Events
| Time | Description | Constellation |
|---|---|---|
| 11 January 2027 | Retrograde motion of Mars begins | Leo |
| 20 February 2027 | Mars is at opposition | Leo |
| 2 April 2027 | Retrograde motion of Mars ends | Leo |
Current position in the Solar System: Mars
| Date | Sat, 3 October 2026 |
| Distance from Earth | 1.6517 AU (247,090,803km) |
| Elongation | 67° |
| Angular diameter | 5.7" |
| Magnitude | 1.1 |
Mars Passage Through Night
Current position of Mars
| Time | 17:28 |
| Latitude | 37.3541 |
| Longitude | -121.955 |
| Elevation | -30° |
| Azimuth | 340° |
When Is Mars Visible Throughout the Year?
| Date | Sun, 4 October 2026 |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 18:13 |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 03:36 |
| Astronomical observing duration | 9h 23m |
| Rise | 23:37 |
| Set | 13:47 |
| Elevation at transit | 73° |
| Transit time | 06:42 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 08h 23m 59s", Dec: 20° 25' 32s |
| Magnitude | 1 |
| Constellation | Cancer |
You can also see when Mars is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.
Astrometric and Physical Parameters of Mars
Coordinates and Visibility
| Right Ascension | 08h 21m 49s |
| Declination | 20° 31′ 51″ |
| Magnitude | 1.1 |
| Constellation | Cancer |
| Elevation | -29.5° |
| Azimuth | 340° |
| Distance to Earth | 1.6509 AU |
| Angular diameter | 5.7″ |
| Elongation from Sun | 67° |
| Illuminated fraction | 90.4% |
Basic Properties
| Mass, kg | 6.4171E+23 |
| Mean density, g/cm³ | 3.933(5+-4) |
Orbit
| Orbital period, days | 686.98 |
Rotation
| Sidereal rotation period, days | 24.622962 hr |
| Mean solar day, days | 88775.24415 s |
Surface and Atmosphere
| Surface gravity, m/s² | 3.71 |
| Escape velocity, km/s | 5.027 |
| Surface pressure, bar | 0.0056 |
| Mean temperature, K | 210 |
Brightness
| Visual magnitude V(1,0) | -1.52 |
Data Acknowledgment
Solar-system physical and orbital parameters are provided by the Solar System OpenData API maintained by Le Système Solaire. We thank its contributors for making these open data available.