Mars started a new orbit around the Sun at exactly 13:43 CET/11:43 UTC on 30 September 2026, the European Space Agency said, marking the beginning of a new year on the Red Planet.
What ESA announced
According to ESA, 30 September 2026 marks the start of a new martian year, with the planet beginning a new orbit around the Sun at 13:43 CET/11:43 UTC on Earth.
The agency said this is the 38th martian year. The convention for counting years in the martian calendar started in 1955, ESA said, with the first year coinciding with a major storm named 'the great dust storm of 1956'. The martian New Year begins on the northern equinox, which corresponds to northern spring and southern autumn on Mars.
ESA also listed upcoming martian new years: Mars year 40 on 17 August 2028, year 41 on 5 July 2030 and year 42 on 22 May 2032.
How martian time differs from Earth
A martian day is called a sol and lasts 24 hours and 39 minutes, slightly longer than an Earth day, according to ESA. One year on Mars equals 687 Earth days, or 668 sols — nearly twice as long as an Earth year.
ESA noted that dividing a person's age by 1.88 gives their equivalent age in martian years.
Mars has four seasons as Earth does, but ESA said they are not of equal length because of the planet's more elliptical orbit. The axial tilt gives the northern hemisphere more sunlight during northern summer and the southern hemisphere more sunlight in northern winter.
Dust storms and extreme temperature swings
The second half of the martian year is often marked by fierce dust storms that can sometimes become planet-wide, ESA said. As Mars swings closer to the Sun, the atmosphere heats up and winds lift very fine particles from the soil; once airborne, the brownish particles heat up and redistribute warmth to the surrounding atmosphere, a process that can rapidly pump a lot of dust.
Temperature swings between day and night are extreme, according to the agency. At noon on a summer's day, air temperature can reach 0 ºC but will plunge to –60 ºC at night, while in winter night temperatures can drop to –110 ºC.
ESA also described a recurring weather phenomenon it called the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud, a cloud of ice crystals that can reach up to 1800 km in length.
Outreach around the date
Alongside the explainer, ESA invited the public to share martian New Year's resolutions on its X, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and published resolutions from ESA teams working on Mars exploration.
The agency also linked to a poem dedicated to Mars by Dutch author Marjolijn van Heemstra.
Key facts and where they come from
- Mars began a new orbit around the Sun at 13:43 CET/11:43 UTC on 30 September 2026.
At exactly 13:43 CET/11:43 UTC on Earth, the Red Planet begins a new orbit around our Sun.
- ESA says this is the 38th martian year, with the counting convention starting in 1955.
This is the 38th martian year. The convention for counting years in the martian calendar started in 1955
- A martian day, or sol, lasts 24 hours and 39 minutes.
A martian day is called a ‘sol’ and lasts 24 hours and 39 minutes, slightly longer than an Earth day.
- A martian year equals 687 Earth days or 668 sols.
One year on Mars equals 687 Earth days, or 668 sols, nearly twice as long as an Earth year.
- Summer daytime air temperature can reach 0 ºC, falling to –60 ºC at night and –110 ºC on winter nights.
air temperature can reach 0 ºC but will plunge to –60 ºC at night. In winter, night temperatures are even colder, dropping to –110 ºC.
- The Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud can reach up to 1800 km in length.
the Arsia Mons Elongated Cloud, a cloud of ice crystals that can reach up to 1800 km in length
- ESA lists future martian new years on 17 August 2028, 5 July 2030 and 22 May 2032.
40
17 August 202841
5 July 203042
22 May 2032