Planets TonightMars in 1997: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.3around Mar 15
Closest (in table)0.663 au99 million km
Farthest2.081 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year+0.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-17 16:54 | Opposition | -1.4 | 0.661 | Virgo | 176.3° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.5 | 1.159 | Virgo | 101° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.2 | 1.028 | Virgo | 112° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.2 | 0.880 | Virgo | 126° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.6 | 0.777 | Virgo | 141° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -1.0 | 0.701 | Virgo | 158° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 15 | -1.3 | 0.663 | Virgo | 175° W | Most of the night |
| Apr 1 | -1.1 | 0.673 | Leo | 160° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 15 | -0.8 | 0.724 | Leo | 142° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | -0.4 | 0.814 | Leo | 126° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | -0.1 | 0.909 | Leo | 114° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.2 | 1.034 | Leo | 102° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.4 | 1.138 | Virgo | 94° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.6 | 1.255 | Virgo | 86° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.7 | 1.353 | Virgo | 80° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.8 | 1.464 | Virgo | 73° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.9 | 1.550 | Virgo | 68° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.0 | 1.645 | Libra | 62° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.0 | 1.717 | Libra | 58° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.1 | 1.793 | Scorpius | 54° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.1 | 1.854 | Ophiuchus | 50° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.1 | 1.923 | Ophiuchus | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +1.1 | 1.976 | Sagittarius | 42° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +1.1 | 2.033 | Sagittarius | 38° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +1.1 | 2.081 | Sagittarius | 34° 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 March 1997 (magnitude -1.3); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.