Why Mars is a tricky target
Mars is easy to spot but harder to enjoy. It is an orange-red point of light that is often bright, but it is a small planet, and most of the time it is far away. Through a telescope it appears as a tiny disc that can show little detail. The best views come in the weeks around opposition, when Earth passes between Mars and the Sun and the two planets are closest.
Finding Mars in the sky
- Check where it is. Mars’s position changes over months. Use a planetarium app or sky chart to see whether it is up tonight and at what time.
- Look for a steady orange-red “star.” Its color helps distinguish it from bright white stars, though its brightness varies greatly over the years.
- Align your finder (see how to use a finderscope) in daylight, then point at Mars and center it.
- Start with a low-power eyepiece, focus, and then increase magnification.
If it is not visible, it may be close to the Sun or below the horizon. The wider guide to seeing planets with a telescope explains how planets track near the ecliptic.
Oppositions and timing
Mars reaches opposition roughly every two years and two months (about 26 months). The apparent size of its disc varies a lot between oppositions depending on how close the approach is, so some are much better than others. Outside the weeks near opposition, Mars may be too small for much detail. Check an almanac or app for the next opposition, and plan to observe for the few weeks before and after.
Is Mars visible in 2026? That depends on the date and your location, so use a planetarium app to check a given evening.
What Mars looks like
- Disc: Orange to salmon, small compared with Jupiter or Saturn.
- Dark markings: With steady air and enough aperture, darker patches become visible on the surface. These shift as Mars rotates once in a little over 24 hours.
- Polar caps: A white cap may show near the pole, especially in good seasons.
- Dust storms: Occasionally, large storms obscure surface features.
- Phase: Away from opposition, Mars can appear slightly gibbous rather than fully round.
Expect to need patience: detail appears in moments of steady air.
Equipment, magnification and filters
A medium-sized telescope with good optics will do better than a small one. Higher magnification is helpful, often in the range of 150x or more (see how much magnification is useful), as long as seeing allows. If the image gets dim or soft, reduce power. Some observers use colored filters (see the telescope color filter chart), such as orange or red, to boost contrast on dark surface markings, though results vary.
Tips
- Let the telescope cool and check collimation before you start.
- Observe when Mars is high in the sky.
- Spend a long time at the eyepiece and return over several nights to see different parts of the planet as it rotates.
- Draw what you see.
Common questions
How does Mars look from a telescope? Typically a small orange disc with, at best, subtle dark markings and sometimes a polar cap.
Is Mars harder than Jupiter? Usually, yes. Jupiter is larger and has more obvious features; see Jupiter from a home telescope.