Mars is on average about 228 million kilometers (142 million miles) away from the Sun, which is approximately 1.5 astronomical units (AU)-with 1 AU being the average distance from the Earth to the Sun

. Because Mars has an elliptical orbit, its distance from the Sun varies:

• At its closest point (perihelion), Mars is about 207 million kilometers (128 million miles) from the Sun.
• At its farthest point (aphelion), it is about 249 million kilometers (154 million miles) away

This elliptical orbit causes the distance to change continuously as Mars travels around the Sun.