-- under construction ! --

Mars 2016

During this apparition, Mars will come into Opposition on May 22, 2016 in the constellation Scorpius, when it will shine at an apparent visual brightness of -2.06 mag. Eight days later, on May 30, 2016, it will have its closest approach to Earth during this appatition, with a distance of about 47.05 million miles (75.28 million km, 0.50321 AU), and an apparent diameter of 18.60". This is intermediate between closer perihelic and more distant aphelic apparitions (aphelion appeared in November 2015, perihelion will occur in October 2016). At opposition time, there will be late summer on Mars' Northern hemisphere, so Mars' North Polar Region (NPR) will be visible from Earth, but slowly go behind horizon: Northern Summer Solstice was in January, 2016, and Northern Autumn Equinox will occur in July, 2016. With a southern value for declination of -21:37 at opposition time, this will be better observable from southern locations on Earth.

As for all oppositions, this one wil provide a favorable opportunity to send spacecraft to Mars: European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to send its ExoMars 2016 mission, which is scheduled to include an orbiter and a demonstration lander, with lauch scheduled for January, 2016. Nasa plans to launch its InSight Mars lander, a stationary lander equipped with instruments for sub-surface geophysical studies, in March, 2016.

.. more to come soon ..

Chronology of the 2016 Mars Apparition

Jun 14, 2015: Mars in conjunction with the Sun from Earth, in Taurus. Earth in superior conjunction with the Sun as seen from Mars. Distance 384 million km (2.5684 AU), apparent diameter 3.648", brightness +1.49 mag. This conjunction which also ends the 2013/2014 apparition of Mars, starts the 2016 apparition of Mars.
Jun 19, 2015: Northern Spring, Southern Autumn Equinox on Mars.
Nov 20, 2015: Mars in Aphelion (1.66606 AU, 249.2 million km)
Dec 6, 2015: Moon occults Mars
Jan 3, 2016: Northern Summer, Southern Winter Solstice on Mars.
Jan 7-27, 2016: ExoMars 2016 launch scheduled.
Mar 8-27, 2016: InSight launch scheduled.
May 22, 2016: Mars opposition on Earth, Earth in inferior conjunction on Mars. Apparent brightness of Mars reaches -2.06 mag in constellation Scorpius.
May 30, 2016: Closest approach of Mars and Earth (0.50321 AU = 75.28 million km). Apparent diameter of Mars is 18.60".
Jul 5, 2016: Northern Autumn, Southern Spring Equinox on Mars.
Sep 20, 2016: InSight arrival and landing scheduled.
Oct 19, 2016: ExoMars 2016 arrival scheduled.
Oct 29, 2016: Mars in Perihelion (1.38124 AU, 206.6 million km)
Nov 29, 2016: Northern Winter, Southern Summer Solstice on Mars.
Jan 3, 2017: Moon occults Mars
May 6, 2017: Northern Spring, Southern Autumn Equinox on Mars.
Jul 26, 2017: Mars in conjunction with the Sun from Earth, in Cancer. Earth in superior conjunction with the Sun as seen from Mars. Distance 397 million km (2.6554 AU), apparent diameter 3.527", brightness +1.78 mag. This conjunction ends the 2016 apparition of Mars. It also starts the 2018 apparition of Mars.

Links

Mars 2016 ephemeris, generated by JPL Ephemeris Generator: For Tucson, Arizona and Munich, Germany
A.L.P.O. Mars Observation Form (blank) [local copy] - filled sample [local copy]
A.L.P.O. B&W Mars Map
Observing Alerts and New Mars Images (A.L.P.O.)
The 2015-2016 Aphelic Apparition of Mars, by Jeff Beish. The "official" ALPO 2016 Pre-Apparition Report. [Local archival copy]
Observing Planet Mars, by Jeffrey D. Beish
General Information for Apparitions of Mars, by Jeffrey D. Beish
Mars Oppositions

Mars Oppositions | < 2014 | 2018 >

Hartmut Frommert [contact]

Last Modification: March 4, 2013