Planets TonightMars in 2008: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.5around Jan 1
Closest (in table)0.608 au91 million km
Farthest2.503 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year-1.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-12-06 07:03 | Conjunction with the Sun | +1.2 | 2.476 | Ophiuchus | 0.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.5 | 0.608 | Taurus | 169° E | Most of the night |
| Jan 15 | -1.1 | 0.666 | Taurus | 151° E | Most of the night |
| Feb 1 | -0.6 | 0.779 | Taurus | 132° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.2 | 0.896 | Taurus | 120° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.2 | 1.035 | Taurus | 108° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.5 | 1.172 | Gemini | 99° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.8 | 1.339 | Gemini | 89° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +1.0 | 1.476 | Gemini | 82° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +1.2 | 1.627 | Gemini | 74° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +1.4 | 1.752 | Cancer | 68° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.5 | 1.894 | Cancer | 61° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.6 | 2.001 | Leo | 56° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.6 | 2.112 | Leo | 50° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.7 | 2.199 | Leo | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.7 | 2.289 | Leo | 39° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.7 | 2.352 | Virgo | 35° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.7 | 2.413 | Virgo | 29° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.7 | 2.451 | Virgo | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.6 | 2.481 | Virgo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.6 | 2.497 | Virgo | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.5 | 2.503 | Libra | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | +1.4 | 2.498 | Libra | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | +1.3 | 2.483 | Ophiuchus | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | +1.2 | 2.462 | Ophiuchus | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
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 January 2008 (magnitude -1.5); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.