Planets TonightMars in 2009: brightness, position and events
Brightest-0.4around Dec 15
Closest (in table)0.843 au126 million km
Farthest2.428 au
Events this year0
Brightest last year-1.5
Events this year
No conjunction, opposition or elongation this year.
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.2 | 2.428 | Sagittarius | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +1.2 | 2.396 | Sagittarius | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +1.2 | 2.351 | Sagittarius | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +1.2 | 2.312 | Capricornus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +1.2 | 2.272 | Capricornus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +1.2 | 2.231 | Aquarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +1.2 | 2.181 | Aquarius | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +1.2 | 2.140 | Aquarius | 31° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +1.2 | 2.092 | Pisces | 34° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +1.2 | 2.050 | Pisces | 37° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.1 | 1.997 | Aries | 41° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.1 | 1.950 | Aries | 44° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.1 | 1.893 | Aries | 47° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.1 | 1.838 | Taurus | 51° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.1 | 1.763 | Taurus | 55° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.0 | 1.695 | Taurus | 59° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.9 | 1.602 | Gemini | 65° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.9 | 1.518 | Gemini | 70° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.8 | 1.412 | Gemini | 76° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.6 | 1.312 | Cancer | 83° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.4 | 1.182 | Cancer | 92° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.2 | 1.072 | Cancer | 100° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.1 | 0.946 | Leo | 112° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.4 | 0.843 | Leo | 124° 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 2009 (magnitude -0.4); 0 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.