Planets TonightMars in 1996: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.8around Dec 15
Closest (in table)1.321 au198 million km
Farthest2.385 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year-1.3
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-03-04 23:01 | Conjunction with the Sun | +1.0 | 2.374 | Aquarius | 1.0° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.2 | 2.331 | Sagittarius | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +1.1 | 2.343 | Capricornus | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +1.1 | 2.356 | Capricornus | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +1.0 | 2.365 | Aquarius | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +1.0 | 2.373 | Aquarius | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +1.0 | 2.379 | Aquarius | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +1.1 | 2.383 | Pisces | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +1.1 | 2.385 | Pisces | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +1.2 | 2.384 | Aries | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +1.3 | 2.379 | Aries | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.4 | 2.367 | Aries | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.4 | 2.351 | Taurus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.4 | 2.324 | Taurus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.5 | 2.293 | Taurus | 30° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.5 | 2.243 | Gemini | 35° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.5 | 2.191 | Gemini | 39° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.5 | 2.116 | Gemini | 44° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.5 | 2.041 | Cancer | 49° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.4 | 1.943 | Cancer | 55° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.4 | 1.846 | Leo | 61° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.3 | 1.715 | Leo | 68° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +1.1 | 1.597 | Leo | 74° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +1.0 | 1.453 | Leo | 83° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.8 | 1.321 | Virgo | 91° 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 1996 (magnitude +0.8); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.