Our Solar System

Planet at opposition · 19 February 2027

Mars at opposition 2027

Mars sits opposite the Sun in the sky. It rises at sunset, is up all night and shines at its brightest as an orange-red star. It will be 101.4 million km from Earth.

140days 01hours 17minutes 45seconds

Next: Mars at opposition, 25 March 2029

OppositionFriday 19 February 2027, 15:44 UTC

See it in 3D ↓
Opposition
15:44 UTC
19 February 2027
Distance
101.4 million km
0.68 AU
Brightness
Magnitude −1.3
visible to the eye
Size
13.8″
arcseconds across
Constellation
Leo
where to find it

Where and when to look

Mars rises in the east as the Sun sets, climbs highest around midnight (1 am where clocks are on summer time) and sets in the west at sunrise, so it is up all night. Look for it in Leo, as bright as the brightest stars, and easy to spot.

FromMars at its highest
London54°
New York65°
Delhi77°
São Paulo51°
Sydney41°

It stays well placed for weeks either side of opposition, rising a few minutes earlier each night.

Through binoculars and telescopes

Even at its biggest Mars is small: 13.8 arcseconds across this time. A telescope of 100 mm or more on a steady night shows the white polar cap and dark surface markings, with more on the nights around opposition.

What is happening

The Earth, on its faster inside track, overtakes Mars and passes between it and the Sun. Mars then sits opposite the Sun in our sky, fully lit, and is about as close to us as it gets this time round: 101.4 million km away.

Mars comes to opposition only every 26 months or so, and its oval orbit makes some oppositions far closer than others: from about 56 million km at the closest to about 101 million km at the farthest.

See it in 3D

Mars, rendered live from today's real positions by our 3D viewer. Press play to load it here, or open the full viewer to fly anywhere in the solar system.

Mars, rendered by the Our Solar System viewer

Open Mars in the 3D viewer →

Get a reminder

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Questions

When is Mars at opposition in 2027?

On 19 February 2027 at 15:44 UTC.

How bright will Mars be?

About magnitude −1.3, as bright as the brightest stars, and easy to spot.

Where do I look for Mars?

In Leo: low in the east at dusk, high in the south around midnight from the Northern Hemisphere (in the north from the Southern Hemisphere), and in the west by dawn.

Can I see Mars without a telescope?

Yes. It is as bright as the brightest stars, and easy to spot.

When is the next Mars opposition?

25 March 2029, when it will be 97.1 million km away.

More in the sky

4 October 2026Saturn at opposition1.26 billion km · magnitude 0.3 21 October 2026Orionids 2026Up to 20 an hour · 78% Moon 17 November 2026Leonids 2026Up to 15 an hour · 55% Moon 25 November 2026Uranus at opposition2.76 billion km · magnitude 5.7 14 December 2026Geminids 2026Up to 150 an hour · 25% Moon 4 January 2027Quadrantids 2027Up to 80 an hour · 12% Moon

Every eclipse, meteor shower and planet at opposition, or the whole calendar. Tonight's planets are on what is visible tonight.

Sources