Mars at its brightest, February 2027

99 nights to go

Friday 19 February 2027 · All night

The Moon that night: 99% lit. If the sky is clear.

On 19 February 2027, Mars is opposite the Sun: it rises in the east at sunset, is up all night, and shines orange-red at its brightest for two years. Jupiter, at opposition nine days earlier, is up at the same time, so two bright planets share the night.

In February, Mars is up all night. It looks like a bright orange star. That's because Mars is covered in rusty red dust.

Mars and Earth both go around the Sun, and every two years or so Earth catches up and passes it. That's opposition: Mars is at its closest and brightest for a while. Its orange colour comes from rusty dust on its surface.

Astronomy-engine puts Mars's opposition at 8:44 am Mountain Time on 19 February 2027, at about magnitude −1.2. This is a far opposition: Mars's oval orbit means some oppositions bring it much closer, as in 2018 and as again in 2035, when it looks bigger and brighter still. Even a far opposition beats every other month.

Two bright points close together in a twilight sky above a lake. — Jupiter and Saturn a tenth of a degree apart above Jordan Lake, North Carolina, 21 December 2020. Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls (NASA Image and Video Library, public domain).

Where to look

East after sunset, high in the south around midnight.

What to do

After sunset, look east for a bright orange-red point.
Compare it with Jupiter nearby: which is brighter, and what colour is each?
Look again in April: Mars will have faded as Earth pulls ahead.

More sky events

“If it's cloudy, don't worry. The planets will still be there tomorrow night.”