Time on Mars Now

Mars, known as the 'Red Planet,' has captured the imagination of explorers and scientists alike. With a day and year that differ significantly from Earth's, the Mars Planetary Clock adapts the Unix epoch (January 1, 1970) to reflect time as it would pass on Mars. This clock gives you an insight into the Martian calendar, based on the planet’s unique movement through space.

How it Works

The Planetary Clock uses Earth’s Unix time as a baseline and adjusts it for each planet's rotation and orbit. For Mars, this involves accounting for the time it takes Mars to complete one full rotation on its axis (a Martian 'day'), and the time it takes Mars to complete one orbit around the Sun (a Martian 'year'). By adjusting for Mars’s day and year length, the Planetary Clock provides an accurate reflection of Martian time, synchronised with the Unix epoch.

 

Mars's Unique Rotation and Orbit

Mars’s day and year are both longer than Earth’s, giving the Red Planet a time system that feels familiar, but stretched. A Martian day, or 'sol,' is approximately 24 hours and 37 minutes. This means that time on Mars moves just a little slower than on Earth, and over time, the difference adds up. The Planetary Clock reflects this, showing how Martian time progresses in real-time but with each sol lasting slightly longer than an Earth day.

Mars orbits the Sun more slowly than Earth, taking about 687 Earth days to complete one full orbit. As a result, a Martian year is nearly twice as long as an Earth year. The Planetary Clock accounts for this by extending the time it takes for Mars to move through its calendar, with fewer 'Martian years' passing relative to Earth years.

Despite its relatively familiar day length, the longer Martian year means the Planetary Clock for Mars runs at a pace that diverges from Earth’s calendar over time. As you view the current time on Mars, you can see how its unique rotation and orbit shape the Martian calendar.