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Numerically, the Mars Sol Date is defined as MSD = (Julian Date using International Atomic Time − 2451549.5 + k)/1.02749125 + 44796.0, where k is a small correction of approximately 1 ⁄ 4000 day (22 s) due to uncertainty in the exact geographical position of the prime meridian at Airy-0 crater. [citation needed]
Mars sol. Sol (borrowed from the Latin word for sun) is a solar day on Mars; that is, a Mars-day. A sol is the apparent interval between two successive returns of the Sun to the same meridian (sundial time) as seen by an observer on Mars. It is one of several units for timekeeping on Mars. A sol is slightly longer than an Earth day.
The basic time periods from which the calendar is constructed are the Martian solar day (sometimes called a sol) and the Martian vernal equinox year.The sol is 39 minutes 35.244 seconds longer than the Terrestrial solar day, and the Martian vernal equinox year is 668.5907 sols in length (which corresponds to 686.9711 days on Earth).
A single official calendar for Mars does not yet exist, so a numbered Mars day, known as a "Sol", is used in the calculation. NASA or another authoritative agency determines the Sol number for the new event on Mars by counting Sols from the beginning of the mission. The Mars clock time of the event is determined by geographic location and sun ...
This template returns the number of sols, or Mars solar days, between two Earth dates. If the second set of parameters is not included it will automatically calculate the days between a given date and today. It is based on the product of the count of Earth days past and the ratio of the length of Earth's solar day length (86400 seconds) with a ...
On a prograde planet like the Earth, the sidereal day is shorter than the solar day. At time 1, the Sun and a certain distant star are both overhead. At time 2, the planet has rotated 360° and the distant star is overhead again (1→2 = one sidereal day). But it is not until a little later, at time 3, that the Sun is overhead again (1→3 = one solar day). More simply, 1→2 is a complete ...
Animation showing the difference between a sidereal day and a solar day. Sidereal time ("sidereal" pronounced / saɪˈdɪəriəl, sə -/ sy-DEER-ee-əl, sə-) is a system of timekeeping used especially by astronomers. Using sidereal time and the celestial coordinate system, it is easy to locate the positions of celestial objects in the night sky.
Mars's average distance from the Sun is roughly 230 million km (143 million mi), and its orbital period is 687 (Earth) days. The solar day (or sol) on Mars is only slightly longer than an Earth day: 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35.244 seconds. [185] A Martian year is equal to 1.8809 Earth years, or 1 year, 320 days, and 18.2 hours. [2]