Planets TonightMars in 2012: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.3around Mar 1
Closest (in table)0.676 au101 million km
Farthest2.184 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year+0.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-04 05:10 | Opposition | -1.3 | 0.674 | Leo | 175.8° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.2 | 1.038 | Leo | 110° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.1 | 0.918 | Virgo | 122° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.6 | 0.792 | Virgo | 139° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.9 | 0.716 | Leo | 156° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 1 | -1.3 | 0.676 | Leo | 174° W | Most of the night |
| Mar 15 | -1.1 | 0.683 | Leo | 164° E | Most of the night |
| Apr 1 | -0.7 | 0.746 | Leo | 143° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.4 | 0.828 | Leo | 128° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | -0.0 | 0.944 | Leo | 114° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +0.2 | 1.053 | Leo | 104° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.5 | 1.189 | Leo | 94° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.7 | 1.298 | Leo | 86° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.8 | 1.418 | Virgo | 79° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.0 | 1.517 | Virgo | 73° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.1 | 1.628 | Virgo | 67° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.1 | 1.712 | Virgo | 62° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.2 | 1.804 | Virgo | 56° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.2 | 1.872 | Libra | 52° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.2 | 1.942 | Libra | 47° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.2 | 1.997 | Scorpius | 44° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.2 | 2.057 | Ophiuchus | 39° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +1.2 | 2.101 | Sagittarius | 35° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +1.2 | 2.147 | Sagittarius | 31° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +1.2 | 2.184 | Sagittarius | 28° 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 2012 (magnitude -1.3); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.