Planets TonightMars in 2011: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.5around Dec 15
Closest (in table)1.193 au178 million km
Farthest2.379 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year-1.3
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-02-05 01:40 | Conjunction with the Sun | +1.0 | 2.375 | Capricornus | 1.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.1 | 2.379 | Sagittarius | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +1.1 | 2.379 | Sagittarius | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +1.0 | 2.376 | Capricornus | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +1.0 | 2.371 | Capricornus | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +1.1 | 2.365 | Aquarius | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +1.1 | 2.358 | Aquarius | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +1.1 | 2.347 | Pisces | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +1.2 | 2.337 | Pisces | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +1.2 | 2.323 | Pisces | 18° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +1.3 | 2.307 | Aries | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.3 | 2.283 | Aries | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.4 | 2.259 | Taurus | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.4 | 2.224 | Taurus | 32° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.4 | 2.185 | Taurus | 35° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.4 | 2.129 | Taurus | 40° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.4 | 2.072 | Gemini | 44° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.4 | 1.991 | Gemini | 50° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.4 | 1.914 | Gemini | 54° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.3 | 1.813 | Cancer | 60° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.2 | 1.714 | Cancer | 66° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.1 | 1.581 | Leo | 74° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.9 | 1.464 | Leo | 80° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.7 | 1.321 | Leo | 89° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.5 | 1.193 | Leo | 98° 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 2011 (magnitude +0.5); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.