Planets TonightMars in 1978: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.3around Jan 15
Closest (in table)0.655 au98 million km
Farthest2.402 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year-0.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-01-22 09:10 | Opposition | -1.4 | 0.654 | Cancer | 175.6° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.0 | 0.688 | Cancer | 151° W | Most of the night |
| Jan 15 | -1.3 | 0.655 | Cancer | 169° W | Most of the night |
| Feb 1 | -1.2 | 0.672 | Cancer | 165° E | Most of the night |
| Feb 15 | -0.8 | 0.732 | Gemini | 148° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.4 | 0.823 | Gemini | 132° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.1 | 0.935 | Gemini | 119° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.3 | 1.087 | Gemini | 106° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.6 | 1.217 | Cancer | 97° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +0.8 | 1.366 | Cancer | 88° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +1.0 | 1.492 | Cancer | 81° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.2 | 1.639 | Leo | 73° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.3 | 1.752 | Leo | 67° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.4 | 1.870 | Leo | 61° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.5 | 1.965 | Leo | 55° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.6 | 2.066 | Virgo | 50° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.6 | 2.140 | Virgo | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.6 | 2.215 | Virgo | 39° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.6 | 2.267 | Virgo | 35° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.5 | 2.315 | Libra | 30° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.5 | 2.347 | Libra | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.4 | 2.376 | Scorpius | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +1.4 | 2.391 | Ophiuchus | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +1.3 | 2.400 | Ophiuchus | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | +1.2 | 2.402 | Sagittarius | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
Computed with the JPL DE421 ephemeris and Skyfield (times in JST). Magnitude and distance are for 12:00 JST on each date. Visibility is a rough guide for mid-northern latitudes such as Japan.
About this page
Mars is brightest around January 1978 (magnitude -1.3); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.