+ NASA Homepage + NASA en Español + Marte en Español + Mars Home Mars Opposition Mars Retrograde Mars Close Approaches Mars in the Night Sky Mars Opposition The distance to Mars varies from about 56 million kilometers (about 35 million miles) to 400 million kilometers (about 249 million miles). Why the difference? And why so close now? Mars Retrograde When Mars is close, it appears to move backwards from night to night! Find out why. Mars Viewing Tips for 2007 Find out where and when Mars will be in your neighborhood. Mars Close Approaches Close is a relative term. At its closest, Mars is still tens of millions of miles away from Earth. Still, the decreased distance during "closest approach" allows for fuel-conserving flights to Mars every 26 months and a good view of Mars once or twice every 15 to 17 years for Earth-bound sky watchers. For help viewing Mars, please contact your local Night Sky Network astronomy club. + Freedom of Information Act + The President's Management Agenda + FY 2002 Agency Performance and    accountability report + NASA Privacy Statement, Disclaimer, and    Accessiblity Certification Last Updated: + Comments and Questions