How Mars’s apparent size changes
Mars appears 6.2″ across on 23 October 2026. It is 1.504 AU from Earth and is increasing toward its next maximum of 13.8″ on 20 February 2027.
Mars Size and Distance
Drag through the orbit to see how Mars’s apparent size, distance, brightness and illumination change over time.
- Angular diameter
- 6.2″
- Distance to Earth
- 1.504 AU
- Magnitude
- 0.9
- Illuminated
- 89.7%
Drag the orbit to move through the cycle
Mars Apparent Size Over Time
Approximately weekly samples cover the complete minimum–maximum–minimum cycle. Exact event dates are inserted between sampled rows.
| Date | Angular size | Distance | Magnitude | Rise–Set | Best observing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 3.9″ | 2.424 AU | 1.3 | 06:56 – 16:21 | — |
| 3.9″ | 2.422 AU | 1.3 | 06:51 – 16:12 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.418 AU | 1.2 | 06:45 – 16:06 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.412 AU | 1.1 | 06:37 – 16:02 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.403 AU | 1 | 06:28 – 15:59 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.393 AU | 1.1 | 06:16 – 15:57 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.381 AU | 1.2 | 06:03 – 15:57 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.369 AU | 1.1 | 05:49 – 15:57 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.355 AU | 1.1 | 05:33 – 15:57 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.341 AU | 1.1 | 05:15 – 15:57 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.327 AU | 1.1 | 04:57 – 15:56 | — | |
| 4.1″ | 2.312 AU | 1.2 | 04:37 – 15:56 | — | |
| 4.1″ | 2.297 AU | 1.2 | 04:17 – 15:55 | — | |
| 4.1″ | 2.281 AU | 1.3 | 03:52 – 15:57 | — | |
| 4.1″ | 2.264 AU | 1.2 | 03:37 – 15:52 | — | |
| 4.2″ | 2.247 AU | 1.2 | 03:16 – 15:50 | — | |
| 4.2″ | 2.229 AU | 1.3 | 02:56 – 15:48 | — | |
| 4.2″ | 2.21 AU | 1.3 | 02:36 – 15:46 | — | |
| 4.3″ | 2.189 AU | 1.3 | 02:17 – 15:44 | — | |
| 4.3″ | 2.166 AU | 1.3 | 01:59 – 15:41 | 02:24 – 02:35 | |
| 4.4″ | 2.14 AU | 1.3 | 01:42 – 15:38 | 02:07 – 02:35 | |
| 4.4″ | 2.112 AU | 1.4 | 01:25 – 15:35 | 01:51 – 02:38 | |
| 4.5″ | 2.082 AU | 1.3 | 01:10 – 15:30 | 01:37 – 02:45 | |
| 4.6″ | 2.047 AU | 1.4 | 00:56 – 15:24 | 01:23 – 02:53 | |
| 4.7″ | 2.01 AU | 1.4 | 00:44 – 15:17 | 01:11 – 03:03 | |
| 4.8″ | 1.968 AU | 1.3 | 00:32 – 15:09 | 00:59 – 03:14 | |
| 4.9″ | 1.922 AU | 1.2 | 00:21 – 14:55 | 00:49 – 03:24 | |
| 5″ | 1.872 AU | 1.3 | 00:11 – 14:43 | 00:38 – 03:34 | |
| 5.2″ | 1.817 AU | 1.2 | 00:01 – 14:29 | 00:28 – 03:44 | |
| 5.3″ | 1.757 AU | 1.2 | 23:51 – 14:14 | 00:18 – 03:53 | |
| 5.5″ | 1.693 AU | 1.1 | 23:41 – 13:56 | 00:07 – 04:01 | |
| 5.8″ | 1.624 AU | 1.1 | 23:30 – 13:37 | 23:56 – 04:10 | |
| 6″ | 1.55 AU | 1 | 23:18 – 13:16 | 23:44 – 04:19 | |
| Today | 6.2″ | 1.504 AU | 0.9 | 23:10 – 13:03 | 23:36 – 04:24 |
| 6.4″ | 1.473 AU | 0.9 | 23:05 – 12:54 | 23:30 – 04:28 | |
| 6.7″ | 1.392 AU | 0.8 | 22:50 – 12:30 | 23:15 – 04:37 | |
| 7.2″ | 1.307 AU | 0.7 | 22:34 – 12:05 | 22:59 – 04:47 | |
| 7.7″ | 1.221 AU | 0.6 | 22:16 – 11:38 | 22:40 – 04:56 | |
| 8.3″ | 1.134 AU | 0.3 | 21:54 – 11:10 | 22:18 – 05:04 | |
| 8.9″ | 1.047 AU | 0.2 | 21:30 – 10:40 | 21:53 – 05:11 | |
| 9.7″ | 0.962 AU | 0 | 21:01 – 10:07 | 21:24 – 05:16 | |
| 10.6″ | 0.883 AU | -0.2 | 20:27 – 09:33 | 20:49 – 05:18 | |
| 11.5″ | 0.811 AU | -0.6 | 19:48 – 08:55 | 20:09 – 05:17 | |
| 12.5″ | 0.751 AU | -0.7 | 19:02 – 08:14 | 19:23 – 05:14 | |
| 13.3″ | 0.706 AU | -1 | 18:10 – 07:30 | 18:30 – 05:07 | |
| 13.7″ | 0.682 AU | -1.2 | 17:07 – 06:37 | 17:43 – 04:57 | |
| Maximum | 13.8″ | 0.678 AU | -1.3 | 16:31 – 06:07 | 17:48 – 04:51 |
| 13.8″ | 0.68 AU | -1.3 | 16:07 – 05:47 | 17:52 – 04:46 | |
| 13.4″ | 0.7 AU | -1 | 15:10 – 04:57 | 18:02 – 04:30 | |
| 12.7″ | 0.74 AU | -0.8 | 14:19 – 04:09 | 18:11 – 03:42 | |
| 11.8″ | 0.796 AU | -0.6 | 13:33 – 03:24 | 18:21 – 02:57 | |
| 10.8″ | 0.864 AU | -0.3 | 12:54 – 02:42 | 18:31 – 02:15 | |
| 10″ | 0.94 AU | 0 | 12:20 – 02:04 | 18:41 – 01:38 | |
| 9.2″ | 1.021 AU | 0.2 | 11:51 – 01:29 | 18:52 – 01:03 | |
| 8.5″ | 1.105 AU | 0.3 | 11:26 – 00:56 | 19:03 – 00:30 | |
| 7.9″ | 1.189 AU | 0.5 | 11:05 – 00:25 | 19:14 – 23:59 | |
| 7.4″ | 1.274 AU | 0.7 | 10:46 – 23:55 | 19:24 – 23:29 | |
| 6.9″ | 1.356 AU | 0.8 | 10:28 – 23:26 | 19:32 – 23:00 | |
| 6.5″ | 1.437 AU | 0.8 | 10:13 – 22:58 | 19:38 – 22:33 | |
| 6.2″ | 1.514 AU | 1 | 09:59 – 22:30 | 19:41 – 22:05 | |
| 5.9″ | 1.588 AU | 1.1 | 09:46 – 22:04 | 19:40 – 21:38 | |
| 5.6″ | 1.659 AU | 1.1 | 09:34 – 21:37 | 19:35 – 21:12 | |
| 5.4″ | 1.725 AU | 1.1 | 09:23 – 21:11 | 19:27 – 20:46 | |
| 5.2″ | 1.788 AU | 1.3 | 09:13 – 20:46 | 19:16 – 20:21 | |
| 5.1″ | 1.846 AU | 1.3 | 09:04 – 20:22 | 19:03 – 19:56 | |
| 4.9″ | 1.9 AU | 1.3 | 08:55 – 19:58 | 18:48 – 19:32 | |
| 4.8″ | 1.951 AU | 1.3 | 08:48 – 19:35 | 18:33 – 19:09 | |
| 4.7″ | 1.997 AU | 1.4 | 08:42 – 19:14 | 18:16 – 18:47 | |
| 4.6″ | 2.039 AU | 1.4 | 08:36 – 18:53 | 18:00 – 18:26 | |
| 4.5″ | 2.078 AU | 1.4 | 08:31 – 18:35 | 17:45 – 18:07 | |
| 4.4″ | 2.113 AU | 1.4 | 08:27 – 18:17 | 17:31 – 17:49 | |
| 4.4″ | 2.144 AU | 1.4 | 08:23 – 18:02 | 17:18 – 17:33 | |
| 4.3″ | 2.173 AU | 1.3 | 08:20 – 17:49 | 17:07 – 17:20 | |
| 4.3″ | 2.199 AU | 1.3 | 08:15 – 17:39 | 16:59 – 17:09 | |
| 4.2″ | 2.222 AU | 1.3 | 08:11 – 17:30 | 16:53 – 17:00 | |
| 4.2″ | 2.243 AU | 1.3 | 08:04 – 17:24 | 16:50 – 16:54 | |
| 4.1″ | 2.262 AU | 1.2 | 07:57 – 17:20 | — | |
| 4.1″ | 2.279 AU | 1.2 | 07:48 – 17:18 | — | |
| 4.1″ | 2.295 AU | 1.2 | 07:37 – 17:17 | — | |
| 4.1″ | 2.309 AU | 1.1 | 07:24 – 17:16 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.323 AU | 1.1 | 07:09 – 17:16 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.335 AU | 1.1 | 06:53 – 17:17 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.347 AU | 1.2 | 06:35 – 17:17 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.358 AU | 1.1 | 06:17 – 17:17 | — | |
| 4″ | 2.368 AU | 1 | 05:57 – 17:16 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.378 AU | 1.1 | 05:37 – 17:15 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.387 AU | 1.1 | 05:13 – 17:17 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.395 AU | 1.1 | 04:56 – 17:13 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.401 AU | 1.1 | 04:36 – 17:11 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.407 AU | 1.3 | 04:15 – 17:09 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.41 AU | 1.3 | 03:56 – 17:07 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.412 AU | 1.2 | 03:36 – 17:05 | — | |
| 3.9″ | 2.412 AU | 1.3 | 03:35 – 17:05 | — | |
Why Does Mars Change Size?
Mars’s physical diameter is not changing. Its apparent angular diameter changes mainly because the distance between Earth and Mars changes as both planets move around the Sun.
When Will Mars Have Its Largest Apparent Diameter?
Mars will reach an apparent diameter of 13.8″ on 20 February 2027. That is about 2.2× wider than today, or roughly 5× the apparent disk area.
The largest apparent-size date has an observing interval from your location: 17:48 – 04:51. Apparent size alone does not describe seeing or atmospheric conditions.