Mars24 is a free, cross-platform software application developed by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) that tracks and displays solar time on Mars. Core Features
Mars Sunclock: Displays a graphical map of Mars showing its current daytime and nighttime sides.
Mission Tracking: Tracks the exact local time and sol numbers (Martian days) for active and historical landers, including Curiosity and Perseverance.
Time Zone Tracking: Includes the option to display “Martian time zones” divided into 15-degree longitude increments.
Orbital Positions: Plots the relative locations of Earth and Mars in their respective orbits.
Solar Geometry: Displays diagrams showing the solar angle, path, and analemma from any specified location on Mars. The Mechanics of Mars Time Tracking
Tracking time on Mars requires specific conversions because a Martian solar day (a sol) lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35.244 seconds in Earth time.
Stretched Units: To maintain a familiar 24-hour cycle, Mars24 treats a sol as 24 “Mars hours,” meaning a Martian second is roughly 2.7% longer than an Earth second.
The Prime Meridian: Just as Earth uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), Mars time relies on Airy Mean Time (AMT), anchored by the Airy-0 crater.
System Requirements: The program is written in Java and runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. It relies on your computer’s local clock to perform its calculations.
You can read the technical documentation or download the tool directly from the NASA GISS Mars24 Page. NASA GISS: Mars24 Sunclock — Time on Mars
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