-- under construction ! --

Mars 2020

During this apparition, Mars will come into Opposition on October 13, 2020 in the constellation Pisces, when it will shine at an apparent visual brightness of -2.62 magnitudes. Seven days earlier, on October 6, 2020, it will have had its closest approach to Earth during this apparition, with a distance of only 38.78 million miles (62.06 million km = 0.41492 AU). This is a comparatively close encounter, as Mars is not too far from its perihelion, which it had passed on August 2, 2020; therefore, this apparition is also called a perihelic apparition. Opposition occurs only about one month after the Northern Winter, Southern Summer Equinox on Mars, which will have been on September 3, 2020. Therefore, the Southern Polar Region (SPR) will be prominently visible this time. At a declination of +5deg at opposition, Mars will be well visible from most places both on Northern and Southern hemisphere on Earth.

As usual, this opposition will provide another good opportunity to send spacecraft to Mars, favorable as it is a perihelic one: Nasa has announced early plans for an advanced rover mission preliminarily called Mars 2020.

.. more to come soon ..

Chronology of the 2020 Mars Apparition

Sep 2, 2019: Mars in conjunction with the Sun from Earth, in Leo. Earth in superior conjunction with the Sun as seen from Mars. Distance 400 million km (2.6746 AU), apparent diameter 3.501", brightness +1.74 mag. This conjunction, which also ends the 2018 apparition of Mars, starts the 2018 apparition of Mars.
Oct 8, 2019: Northern Summer, Southern Winter Solstice on Mars.
Apr 9, 2020: Northern Autumn, Southern Spring Equinox on Mars.
Aug 2, 2020: Mars in Perihelion (1.38138 AU, 206.6 million km).
Sep 3, 2020: Northern Winter, Southern Summer Equinox on Mars.
Oct 6, 2020: Closest Approach of Mars and Earth (0.41492 AU = 62.06 million km, 38.78 million miles). Apparent diameter of Mars is 22.56".
Oct 13, 2020: Mars Opposition on Earth, Earth inferior conjunction on Mars. Apparent brightness of Mars reaches -2.62 mag in constellation Pisces.
Feb 8, 2021: Northern Spring, Southern Autumn Equinox on Mars.
Jul 12, 2021: Mars in Aphelion (1.66596 AU, 249.2 million km).
Aug 25, 2021: Northern Summer, Southern Winter Solstice on Mars.
Oct 8, 2021: Mars in conjunction with the Sun from Earth, in Virgo. Earth in superior conjunction with the Sun as seen from Mars. Distance 393 million km (2.6286 AU), apparent diameter 3.563", brightness +1.65 mag. This conjunction ends the 2020 apparition of Mars. It also starts the 2022 apparition of Mars.

Links

Mars 2020 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 2020-2021 Perihelic Apparition of Mars, by Jeff Beish. The "official" ALPO 2020 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 | < 2018 | 2022 >

Hartmut Frommert [contact]

Last Modification: March 4, 2013