Planets TonightMars in 1979: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.3around Dec 15
Closest (in table)1.114 au167 million km
Farthest2.398 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year-1.3
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-01-20 21:17 | Conjunction with the Sun | +1.1 | 2.388 | Capricornus | 1.0° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.1 | 2.398 | Sagittarius | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +1.1 | 2.391 | Sagittarius | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +1.1 | 2.379 | Capricornus | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +1.1 | 2.367 | Capricornus | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +1.1 | 2.353 | Aquarius | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +1.1 | 2.339 | Aquarius | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +1.2 | 2.320 | Pisces | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +1.2 | 2.303 | Pisces | 18° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +1.2 | 2.281 | Pisces | 22° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +1.3 | 2.260 | Aries | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.3 | 2.230 | Aries | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.3 | 2.200 | Aries | 31° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.4 | 2.160 | Taurus | 35° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.4 | 2.118 | Taurus | 39° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.4 | 2.057 | Taurus | 43° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.4 | 1.997 | Gemini | 47° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.3 | 1.913 | Gemini | 53° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.3 | 1.833 | Gemini | 58° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.2 | 1.730 | Cancer | 64° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.1 | 1.630 | Cancer | 69° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.0 | 1.497 | Leo | 77° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.8 | 1.380 | Leo | 84° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.6 | 1.239 | Leo | 94° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.3 | 1.114 | Leo | 103° W | Morning sky |
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 December 1979 (magnitude +0.3); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.