Planets TonightMars in 2003: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.9around Sep 1
Closest (in table)0.374 au56 million km
Farthest2.050 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year+0.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-08-29 02:58 | Opposition | -2.9 | 0.373 | Aquarius | 173.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.5 | 2.050 | Libra | 51° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +1.4 | 1.932 | Libra | 56° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.3 | 1.782 | Ophiuchus | 62° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +1.1 | 1.655 | Ophiuchus | 67° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.9 | 1.527 | Sagittarius | 72° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.8 | 1.399 | Sagittarius | 78° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.5 | 1.246 | Sagittarius | 84° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.2 | 1.124 | Sagittarius | 89° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.1 | 0.990 | Capricornus | 95° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.3 | 0.879 | Capricornus | 100° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -0.7 | 0.753 | Capricornus | 108° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -1.0 | 0.658 | Aquarius | 114° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.4 | 0.561 | Aquarius | 124° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.8 | 0.488 | Aquarius | 133° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -2.3 | 0.418 | Aquarius | 148° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -2.7 | 0.383 | Aquarius | 162° W | Most of the night |
| Sep 1 | -2.9 | 0.374 | Aquarius | 172° E | Most of the night |
| Sep 15 | -2.6 | 0.397 | Aquarius | 158° E | Most of the night |
| Oct 1 | -2.1 | 0.453 | Aquarius | 142° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.7 | 0.523 | Aquarius | 131° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.2 | 0.627 | Aquarius | 119° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.8 | 0.726 | Aquarius | 111° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 0.849 | Aquarius | 103° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.1 | 0.965 | Pisces | 96° 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 September 2003 (magnitude -2.9); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.