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Opposition

Mars at Opposition

Mars lies opposite the Sun in our sky — closest to Earth, brightest, and visible all night in Leo.

Your local time

19 Feb 2027, 21:14

Universal time

19 Feb 2027, 15:44 UTC

Countdown

Visible from New Delhi, IndiaNaked EyeVisible worldwide where sky conditions allow

At opposition Mars is directly opposite the Sun as seen from Earth. It rises at sunset, is highest around local midnight and sets at sunrise. This is also close to its minimum distance from Earth, so the planet appears at its largest and brightest for the year — the best time to observe it with a telescope.

Observation details

Visibility
Visible
Best viewing time
20 Feb 2027, 00:44
Direction to look
E · azimuth 94°
Altitude at peak
40.6°
Equipment
Naked Eye
Distance from Earth
0.678 AU
Apparent magnitude
-1.2
Constellation
Leo

The object is 41° above your E horizon in a dark sky.

New Delhi, India

28.6139°, 77.2090° · default location

Photography & observing tips

  • Observe when the planet is highest, near local midnight, to look through the least atmosphere.
  • Let a telescope cool to ambient temperature for 30 minutes before high-magnification viewing.
  • Planetary imaging works best by recording short video and stacking the sharpest frames.

Other opposition events

The nearest occurrences before and after this one.