Mars (Planet)
© NASA/Hubble Space Telescope
Finder chart
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From Cambridge , Mars is not readily observable since it is very close to the Sun, at a separation of only 3° from it.
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|
Name
Mars
|
Object type
Superior planet
|
Current position
| Computed for: | 23 January 2026 |
| Right ascension: | 20h07m [2] |
| Declination: | −21°14' [2] |
| Constellation: | Capricornus |
| Magnitude: | 1.15 (V) [1] |
| Angular diameter: | 3.9 arcsec[2] |
| Distance: | 2.39 AU 19.87 lightmin [2] |
Orbital elements [2]
| Semi-major axis: | 1.52 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.093394 |
| Inclination: | 1.85° |
| Longitude ascending node: | 49.56° |
| Argument of perihelion: | -73.50° |
| Epoch of elements: | 1 Jan 2000 |
| Mean Anomaly at epoch: | 19.39° |
| Absolute mag (H): | -1.46 [1] |
| Slope parameter (n): | 2.00 [1] |
Derived quantities
| Perihelion: | 1.38 AU |
| Aphelion: | 1.67 AU |
| Orbital period: | 1.88 years |
Sources
| [1] | Robin M. Green, Spherical Astronomy, 1985, ISBN 0-521-31779-7 |
| [2] | Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac, 2013, Urban & Seidelmann, Eds., Table 8.7, ISBN 978-1-891389-85-6 |
Visibility from Cambridge
All times shown in Cambridge local time.
Events
| 09 Jan 2026 | – Mars at solar conjunction |
| 26 Mar 2026 | – Mars at perihelion |
| 05 Oct 2026 | – Lunar occultation of Mars |
| 02 Nov 2026 | – Lunar occultation of Mars |
| 10 Jan 2027 | – Mars enters retrograde motion |
| 19 Feb 2027 | – Mars at opposition |
| 19 Feb 2027 | – Mars at perigee |
| 04 Mar 2027 | – Mars at aphelion |
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