How fast away is mars

So, how long does it take for light from the Sun to reach the Red Planet? But at the average distance of million miles, light takes about 12 minutes and 42 seconds to reach the Red Planet. However, at its closest distance, that time shrinks to 11 minutes and 27 seconds, while at the farthest point, it stretches to 13 minutes and 47 seconds!

As far as how long it takes for the light to travel from Mars to Earth, this varies even more wildly. At the average distance of million miles, the light that you see from Mars is 18 minutes and 26 seconds old! But at the closest theoretical approach, that number shrinks to a minuscule 3 minutes and 2 seconds! At the farthest distance, that number can stretch to 22 minutes and 17 seconds. Instead of being a fixture in the sky, Mars is an elusive targe t that becomes easier to spot at different points in time.

It adds to the excitement as it makes close approaches and fuels even more mystique and imagination, which is something that we could all use a little more of. Nowadays, Robert is dedicated to helping others find the right optics for their needs. His hobbies include astronomy, astrophysics, and model building. Optics Mag is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.

Read more. This site cannot run without your voluntary donations. We don't use Ads. If you find this website useful please consider a small donation, it will help covering hosting costs. Thank you! If you have any feedback, please get in contact. Major Bodies » Mars. How Far is Mars from Earth? But there is a faster way. So fast, in fact, that it got there in days. Click the image below to check it out:. I was doing the music that they play at the end of jepardy and just as I finished I reached mars.

Talk about timing. Nickname Please do not use your real name. In fact: If you could walk from Earth to Mars at a brisk rate about five miles per hour it would take about 4, years to reach the Red Planet.