Planets TonightMars in 2020: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.7around Oct 15
Closest (in table)0.417 au62 million km
Farthest2.184 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year+0.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-10-14 08:25 | Opposition | -2.7 | 0.419 | Pisces | 177.0° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.6 | 2.184 | Libra | 42° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +1.5 | 2.080 | Ophiuchus | 46° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.4 | 1.947 | Ophiuchus | 52° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +1.2 | 1.834 | Sagittarius | 57° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +1.1 | 1.711 | Sagittarius | 62° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.9 | 1.597 | Sagittarius | 66° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.8 | 1.460 | Capricornus | 71° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.6 | 1.349 | Capricornus | 75° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.4 | 1.228 | Capricornus | 80° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +0.2 | 1.126 | Aquarius | 83° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -0.1 | 1.009 | Aquarius | 88° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.3 | 0.917 | Aquarius | 93° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.6 | 0.817 | Pisces | 98° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -0.8 | 0.735 | Cetus | 103° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -1.1 | 0.641 | Pisces | 111° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -1.4 | 0.570 | Pisces | 119° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.8 | 0.495 | Pisces | 131° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -2.2 | 0.447 | Pisces | 145° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -2.5 | 0.417 | Pisces | 163° W | Most of the night |
| Oct 15 | -2.7 | 0.421 | Pisces | 177° E | Most of the night |
| Nov 1 | -2.1 | 0.467 | Pisces | 157° E | Most of the night |
| Nov 15 | -1.7 | 0.537 | Pisces | 142° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | -1.1 | 0.643 | Pisces | 128° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.7 | 0.752 | Pisces | 117° 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 October 2020 (magnitude -2.7); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.