Planets TonightMars in 2018: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.8around Aug 1
Closest (in table)0.385 au58 million km
Farthest1.955 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year+0.9
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-27 14:13 | Opposition | -2.8 | 0.386 | Capricornus | 173.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.5 | 1.955 | Libra | 56° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +1.4 | 1.829 | Libra | 62° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.2 | 1.670 | Scorpius | 69° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +1.0 | 1.536 | Ophiuchus | 74° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.8 | 1.401 | Ophiuchus | 80° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.6 | 1.267 | Sagittarius | 86° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.2 | 1.107 | Sagittarius | 93° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.0 | 0.981 | Sagittarius | 100° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.4 | 0.844 | Sagittarius | 107° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.8 | 0.733 | Capricornus | 115° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -1.2 | 0.611 | Capricornus | 125° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -1.7 | 0.526 | Capricornus | 136° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -2.2 | 0.448 | Capricornus | 150° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -2.6 | 0.404 | Capricornus | 164° W | Most of the night |
| Aug 1 | -2.8 | 0.385 | Capricornus | 171° E | Most of the night |
| Aug 15 | -2.5 | 0.400 | Capricornus | 156° E | Most of the night |
| Sep 1 | -2.1 | 0.449 | Sagittarius | 140° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.7 | 0.509 | Capricornus | 128° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | -1.3 | 0.593 | Capricornus | 118° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.0 | 0.677 | Capricornus | 110° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.6 | 0.789 | Capricornus | 103° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.4 | 0.889 | Aquarius | 97° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.1 | 1.010 | Aquarius | 91° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.2 | 1.121 | Aquarius | 86° 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 August 2018 (magnitude -2.8); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.