Happy New Year on Mars

What happened

The convention for counting years in the martian calendar started in 1955, with the first year coinciding with a major storm named ‘the great dust storm of 1956’. New Year: The martian New Year begins on the northern equinox (northern spring, southern autumn on Mars).

30 September 2026 marks the start of a new year on Mars. Science & Exploration Happy New Year on Mars 30/09/2026 27763 views 354 likes ESA / Science & Exploration / Human and Robotic Exploration 30 September 2026 marks the start of a new year on Mars.

There are some significant differences between years on the two planets: Days: A martian day is called a ‘sol’ and lasts 24 hours and 39 minutes, slightly longer than an Earth day. Years: One year on Mars equals 687 Earth days, or 668 sols, nearly twice as long as an Earth year.

Seasons: Like Earth, Mars has four seasons – winter, spring, summer and autumn. Unlike Earth’s seasons, martian seasons are not of equal lengths due to Mars’ more elliptical orbit. Winter and summer come when the northern and southern hemispheres tilt away from the Sun in turn.