Mars will reach solar conjunction—when it passes almost directly behind the sun from Earth’s perspective—on January 9, 2026, marking its transition from the evening sky to the morning sky.
Mars at solar conjunction 2026
When it occurs: Mars will reach solar conjunction on January 9, 2026, at 10:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. EST).
Alignment: As Mars aligns behind the sun from Earth’s perspective at solar conjunction, it appears very close to the sun in our sky. As a result, it rises and sets almost with the sun.
Significance: Mars at solar conjunction marks its transition from the western evening sky to the eastern morning sky.
Visibility: Around its solar conjunction, Mars will not be visible in our sky for several weeks, as it is lost in the sun’s glare. It will reappear in the eastern morning sky in early March 2026 (for Southern Hemisphere observers).
However, Northern Hemisphere observers will have to wait until around late April 2026 to see Mars in the eastern morning sky. This is because, for the Northern Hemisphere, the ecliptic—the path of the sun, moon and planets—makes a narrow angle to the horizon on spring mornings.
Thereafter, Mars will remain visible throughout 2026, rising earlier each day. Mars will reach opposition—when it appears on the opposite side of the sun in our sky—on February 19, 2027. Around that time, Mars will be closest, brightest, and visible all night long. This will be the best time to observe the planet.
Distance from Earth: Mars will reach its farthest distance from Earth around solar conjunction on January 9, 2026, passing to a distance of about 2.40 AU or 359 million km.
Size of Mars: Mars will appear smallest in size around solar conjunction on January 9, 2026. If it could be observed using proper sun-blocking filters, Mars would measure only about 3.9 arcseconds in diameter.
How often does Mars reach solar conjunction?
Mars reaches solar conjunction about once every 26 months (roughly 780 days). This interval is called the synodic period of Mars. It is the time Mars takes to orbit the sun relative to Earth. The synodic period is longer than the actual orbital period of Mars (about 687 days) because Earth is also moving in its orbit around the sun.
Upcoming Mars solar conjunctions
Here are the dates of Mars solar conjunctions from 2026 to 2032:
| Date of solar conjunction | Distance from Earth (AU) |
|---|---|
| January 9, 2026 | 2.40 |
| March 21, 2028 | 2.39 |
| May 25, 2030 | 2.52 |
| July 11, 2032 | 2.63 |
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