Planets TonightMars in 2026: brightness, position and events
Brightest+0.2around Dec 15
Closest (in table)1.054 au158 million km
Farthest2.411 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year-1.4
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-09 20:41 | Conjunction with the Sun | +1.1 | 2.403 | Sagittarius | 0.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.1 | 2.411 | Sagittarius | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +1.1 | 2.398 | Sagittarius | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +1.1 | 2.379 | Capricornus | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +1.1 | 2.361 | Capricornus | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +1.1 | 2.341 | Aquarius | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +1.2 | 2.321 | Aquarius | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +1.2 | 2.295 | Aquarius | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +1.2 | 2.273 | Pisces | 21° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +1.2 | 2.245 | Pisces | 24° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +1.2 | 2.219 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.3 | 2.184 | Aries | 31° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.3 | 2.150 | Aries | 34° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.3 | 2.106 | Taurus | 38° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.3 | 2.061 | Taurus | 41° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.3 | 1.997 | Taurus | 46° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.3 | 1.936 | Gemini | 50° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.2 | 1.849 | Gemini | 55° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.2 | 1.768 | Gemini | 60° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.1 | 1.665 | Cancer | 66° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.0 | 1.564 | Cancer | 72° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.8 | 1.431 | Leo | 80° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.7 | 1.315 | Leo | 87° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.5 | 1.176 | Leo | 97° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.2 | 1.054 | Leo | 107° 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 2026 (magnitude +0.2); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.