Mars facts · The Red Planet by the numbers

Mars facts

Q: How old is Mars?

About 4.5 billion years. NASA says Mars formed when the solar system settled into its current layout, as gravity pulled gas and dust together.

Q: What color is Mars?

Red from a distance, because dust rich in rusted iron covers it. On the surface, rovers see browns, golds and tans.

Q: Why is Mars called the Red Planet?

Because it looks red in our night sky. Iron minerals in its dirt oxidize, or rust, which makes the surface look red.

Q: How far is Mars from Earth?

Right now 240 million km (149 million mi). As both planets circle the Sun, the gap swings between about 55 and 401 million km.

Q: Can you see Mars from Earth?

Yes, with just your eyes: it looks like a bright orange-red star. It’s brightest around opposition, next on Feb 19, 2027.

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun: a cold, dusty desert world about half as wide as Earth, with two small moons and a day about 40 minutes longer than ours. Right now it’s 240 million km (149 million mi) from Earth, and it’s the start of northern spring.

Updated Oct 4, 2026Sources (11)

Mars right nowLive

From Earth240.2million km149.2 million mi · getting closer

Radio delay13minone way, at the speed of light

Season: Early northern springSeason (Ls)Ls is Mars’s position around the Sun in degrees — 0° starts northern spring, 90° summer, 180° autumn and 270° winter — so it tells you the season.More in the glossary 4.5° · autumn in the south
Time on Mars: 23:52Mars time (MTC)Coordinated Mars Time (MTC) is a proposed name for Mars’s version of UTC: the average solar time at the prime meridian, through the crater Airy-0, which NASA’s Mars24 calls Airy Mean Time.More in the glossary · Coordinated Mars Time
At Perseverance: 05:02, nightJezero Crater · SolA sol is a day on Mars — 24 h 39 min 35 s, about 40 minutes longer than ours — and rovers count them from the day they land.More in the glossary 2,004
Mars calendar: Year 39, day 9Mars YearA Mars year lasts 687 Earth days (about 669 sols), and scientists number them from Mars Year 1, which began on April 11, 1955.More in the glossary 39 began Sep 30, 2026
From the Sun: 234.6 million km145.8 million mi · 1.57 AUAn astronomical unit (AU) is the average distance between Earth and the Sun: about 149.6 million km (93 million mi).More in the glossary

Calculated in your browser every second with NASA’s Mars24 method and JPL orbital elements. How we calculate

Mars fact sheet

Mars compared with Earth, with sources
Fact	Mars	Earth	Source
Place from the Sun	4th planetthe next planet out from EarthEarth: 3rd planet	3rd planet	[2]
Average distance from the SunLive	228 million km (142 million mi)1.52 AU · right now 234.6 million kmEarth: 150 million km (93 million mi)	150 million km (93 million mi)	[1][3]
Distance from EarthLive	Right now 240.2 million km149.2 million mi · from about 55 to 401 million kmEarth: —	—	[1][6]
Width (average)	6,779 km (4,212 mi)about half as wide as EarthEarth: 12,742 km (7,918 mi)	12,742 km (7,918 mi)	[1][3]
Gravity	3.73 m/s²38% of Earth’sEarth: 9.82 m/s²	9.82 m/s²	[1]
Length of a day	24 h 39 min 35 sa Mars day is called a SolA sol is a day on Mars — 24 h 39 min 35 s, about 40 minutes longer than ours — and rovers count them from the day they land.More in the glossaryEarth: 24 h	24 h	[5][2]
Length of a year	687 Earth days669 sols · seasons last about twice as longEarth: 365.25 days	365.25 days	[1][5]
Typical temperature	−65 °C (−85 °F)from about 20 °C (68 °F) at the warmest to −153 °C (−243 °F) at the coldestEarth: 15 °C (59 °F)	15 °C (59 °F)	[4][2][3]
Moons	2Phobos and Deimos, both tinyEarth: 1	1	[1]
Air	95% carbon dioxidesurface pressure about 0.6% of Earth’sEarth: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen	78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen	[1][3]
Tilt of its axis	25.2°close to Earth’s, so Mars has seasonsEarth: 23.4°	23.4°	[1][2]
Mass	11% of Earth’sabout a tenthEarth: 100%	100%	[1]
Age	about 4.5 billion yearsformed as the solar system settled into its current layoutEarth: —	—	[2]

US units are calculated from the metric values. Rows marked Live update every second.

Fun facts about Mars

Sunsets on Mars are blue.Fine dust in the air lets blue light through more easily than red, so the sky around a setting Sun glows blue.[7]Mars weather →
Seasons last about twice as long as ours.A Mars year runs 687 Earth days, so each season lasts from about 142 to 194 sols.[2]The Mars calendar →
It has the biggest volcano in the solar system.Olympus Mons is about 600 km (370 mi) across at its base and rises about 27 km (17 mi).[8][2]Olympus Mons →
Its dust storms can cover the whole planet.A planet-wide storm in 2018 blocked the sunlight that powered NASA’s Opportunity rover; NASA ended the mission in February 2019.[9]Opportunity’s last days →
One of its moons is falling.Phobos creeps about 1.8 m (6 ft) closer every century; NASA says it will either crash into Mars or break up into a ring.[10]Phobos, explained →
You’d weigh 38% of your Earth weight.Mars has about a tenth of Earth’s mass and about half its width, so its surface pulls on you with 38% of Earth’s gravity.[1]Weight calculator →

Mars today, from the surface

The newest raw pictures from NASA’s two working rovers, Perseverance in Jezero Crater and Curiosity in Gale Crater, as they reached Earth.

Pulled from NASA’s raw-image feeds on Oct 9, 2026, unprocessed, with NASA’s credits.All Mars photos

Explore Mars, topic by topic

How many moons does Mars have?2Phobos and DeimosBoth are tiny: Phobos is about 22 km (14 mi) across.The moons of Mars What is Phobos?FallingslowlyMars’s bigger moon circles three times a day and spirals about 1.8 m (6 ft) closer every century.Phobos, explained How far is Mars from Earth right now?Live240,190,638kmThat’s 149,247,497 miles, and getting closer. Light takes 13 min 21 s to cross the gap.Live distance What time is it on Mars?Live23:52MTCIt’s 05:02 at Perseverance’s crater and 09:02 at Curiosity’s.The live Mars clock How cold is Mars?−65 °C−85 °F · on averageTemperatures range from about 20 °C (68 °F) at the warmest to −153 °C (−243 °F) at the coldest.Weather and seasons How long is a day on Mars?24h 39mA Martian day, called a sol, lasts 24 h 39 min 35 s. A Mars year lasts 687 Earth days.Sols, years and seasons How strong is gravity on Mars?38%of Earth’s3.73 m/s². Someone who weighs 70 kg (154 lb) on Earth would weigh about 27 kg (59 lb) on Mars.Weight calculator

Questions

How old is Mars?

About 4.5 billion years. NASA says Mars formed when the solar system settled into its current layout, as gravity pulled gas and dust together.

What color is Mars?

Red from a distance, because dust rich in rusted iron covers it. On the surface, rovers see browns, golds and tans.

Why is Mars called the Red Planet?

Because it looks red in our night sky. Iron minerals in its dirt oxidize, or rust, which makes the surface look red.

How far is Mars from Earth?

Right now 240 million km (149 million mi). As both planets circle the Sun, the gap swings between about 55 and 401 million km.

Can you see Mars from Earth?

Yes, with just your eyes: it looks like a bright orange-red star. It’s brightest around OppositionOpposition is when Earth passes between the Sun and Mars, so Mars rises at sunset, stays up all night and looks its brightest — about every 26 months.More in the glossary, next on Feb 19, 2027.

Sources

NASA NSSDCA — Mars Fact SheetPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA Science — Mars: FactsPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA NSSDCA — Earth Fact SheetPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA Science — Temperatures Across Our Solar SystemPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA GISS — Mars24 Sunclock — Technical Notes on Mars Solar TimePrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA JPL Solar System Dynamics — Approximate Positions of the PlanetsPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA JPL — NASA’s Curiosity Rover Views Serene Sundown on MarsPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA — NASA’s Mars Odyssey Captures Huge Volcano as Mission Nears 100,000 OrbitsPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA JPL — NASA’s Opportunity Rover Mission on Mars Comes to EndPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA Science — PhobosPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026
NASA JPL Solar System Dynamics — Planetary Satellite Physical ParametersPrimary · checked Oct 2, 2026