Planets TonightMars in 1988: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.8around Oct 1
Closest (in table)0.397 au59 million km
Farthest2.137 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year+0.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-09-28 12:30 | Opposition | -2.8 | 0.396 | Cetus | 175.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.6 | 2.137 | Libra | 45° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +1.5 | 2.028 | Scorpius | 50° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.3 | 1.889 | Ophiuchus | 56° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +1.2 | 1.771 | Ophiuchus | 61° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +1.1 | 1.642 | Sagittarius | 66° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.9 | 1.523 | Sagittarius | 70° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.7 | 1.379 | Sagittarius | 76° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.5 | 1.265 | Capricornus | 80° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.2 | 1.138 | Capricornus | 85° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +0.0 | 1.033 | Capricornus | 89° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -0.3 | 0.911 | Aquarius | 95° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.5 | 0.817 | Aquarius | 100° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.9 | 0.717 | Aquarius | 106° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.1 | 0.635 | Pisces | 112° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -1.5 | 0.546 | Cetus | 122° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -1.9 | 0.482 | Cetus | 132° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -2.3 | 0.423 | Cetus | 147° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -2.6 | 0.397 | Cetus | 163° W | Most of the night |
| Oct 1 | -2.8 | 0.399 | Pisces | 174° E | Most of the night |
| Oct 15 | -2.4 | 0.433 | Pisces | 159° E | Most of the night |
| Nov 1 | -1.8 | 0.510 | Pisces | 141° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | -1.3 | 0.596 | Pisces | 129° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.9 | 0.713 | Pisces | 117° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.5 | 0.828 | Pisces | 109° E | Evening 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 October 1988 (magnitude -2.8); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.