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 02:46, when it is already about 34° above the horizon. It reaches its highest point of about 49° around 03:59.
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 2026-09-22
Mars rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| Mars transit | 06:59 | 74° |
| Mars set | 14:09 | |
Moonrise, 69.9% illuminated  | 14:39 | -6° |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 18:33 | -31° |
| Mars rise | 23:47 | |
| Moonset | 00:43 | 10° |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 03:28 | 43° |
| Twilight end (−12°) | 03:59 | 49° |
| Civil sunrise | 04:29 | 55° |
| Sunrise | 04:57 | 60° |
Track Mars position throughout the night
← 22 September 2026 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
Mars Moon Positions
Mars Map
Mars Features
Valles Marineris: A vast canyon system stretching over 4,000 km long and up to 7 km deep, it is one of the largest canyons in the solar system.
Amazonis Planitia: A vast plain in the northern hemisphere, known for its smooth surface and relatively young geological features.
Tharsis Montes: A volcanic plateau hosting three large shield volcanoes—Arsia Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Ascraeus Mons—each towering over 14 km high.
Olympus Mons: The tallest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons stands about 22 km high and spans 600 km in diameter.
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 | Tue, 22 September 2026 |
| Distance from Earth | 1.7252 AU (258,086,247km) |
| Elongation | 63° |
| Angular diameter | 5.4" |
| Magnitude | 1.1 |
Finder Chart for Mars
| Object name | Mars |
| Field of view | |
| Limiting magnitude | |
| Mars coordinates | 7.91948, 21.69006 |
| Center coordinates | 7.91948, 21.69006 |
Mars Passage Through Night
Current position of Mars
| Time | 23:56 |
| Latitude | 37.3541 |
| Longitude | -121.955 |
| Elevation | 2° |
| Azimuth | 64° |
When Is Mars Visible Throughout the Year?
| Date | Wed, 23 September 2026 |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 18:27 |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 03:22 |
| Astronomical observing duration | 9h 56m |
| Rise | 23:45 |
| Set | 14:03 |
| Elevation at transit | 74° |
| Transit time | 06:54 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 07h 56m 45s", Dec: 21° 37' 40s |
| Magnitude | 1 |
| Constellation | Gemini |
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 | 07h 55m 10s |
| Declination | 21° 41′ 24″ |
| Magnitude | 1.2 |
| Constellation | Gemini |
| Elevation | 1.6° |
| Azimuth | 63.7° |
| Distance to Earth | 1.7228 AU |
| Angular diameter | 5.4″ |
| Elongation from Sun | 62.8° |
| Illuminated fraction | 90.8% |
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.