The temperature on Mars varies widely depending on location, time of day, and season, but overall it is a very cold planet.

• The average surface temperature on Mars is around −63 °C (−81 °F), or about 210 K

. Other estimates place the average between −54 °C and −40 °C (219 K to 233 K)

• Near the equator, daytime temperatures can reach up to about 20 °C (68 °F), while nighttime temperatures drop sharply, sometimes below −73 °C (−100 °F)

• At the poles, temperatures can plunge to as low as −153 °C (−243 °F) in winter, with seasonal CO2 ice caps forming due to the extreme cold

• NASA notes the median surface temperature is about −65 °C (−85 °F), with winter polar lows reaching nearly −125 °C (−195 °F)

• Temperature fluctuations are large because Mars has a thin atmosphere (~1% of Earth's), which cannot retain heat effectively, leading to big differences between day and night temperatures

In summary, Mars is a cold desert world with average temperatures around −60 °C, but with extremes ranging from about 20 °C near the equator during the day to −153 °C at the poles in winter