Mars 2022

During this apparition, Mars will come into Opposition on December 8, 2022 in the constellation Taurus, when it will shine at an apparent visual brightness of -1.87 magnitudes. Seven days earlier, on December 1, 2022, it will have had its closest approach to Earth during this apparition, with a distance of only 50.8 million miles (81.47 million km = 0.54447 AU). This is an intermediately close encounter, as Mars is neither close to its perihelion nor its aphelion. This opposition occurs less than about one month before Northern Spring / Southern Autumn Equinox (which will occur December 27): So, as seen from Mars, both the Sun and the Earth will be quite close to the Martian Celestial Equator, and the polar caps will be seen on the planet's limb from Earth.

European Space Agency had planned to send its ExoMars Rover mission, originally scheduled for launch in 2018 and later for 2020, until it was suspended indefinitely. New launch options are evaluated and it may be rescheduled for 2024 or later.

Chronology of the 2022 Mars Apparition

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, which also ends the 2020 apparition of Mars, starts the 2022 apparition of Mars.
Oct 28, 2021
Mars at its least brightness (+1.65 mag).
Nov 11, 2021
Mars leaves constellation Virgo and enters Libra.
Dec 3, 2021
Moon occults Mars.
Dec 15, 2021
Mars leaves constellation Libra and enters Scorpius.
Dec 19, 2021
Mars passes the descending node of its orbit, moving to the south of Earth's orbital plane, the ecliptic, and getting southern ecliptic latitudes.
Dec 24, 2021
Mars leaves constellation Scorpius and enters Ophiuchus.
Dec 31, 2021
Moon occults Mars.
Jan 1, 2022
Mars is seen in the morning sky in constellation Ophiuchus at a distance of 2.4863 AU (372 million km) at about +1.5 mag apparent brightness and 4.0" apparent diameter.
Jan 11, 2022
Apparent brightness of Mars exceeds +1.5 mag.
Jan 15, 2022
As seen from Mars, Earth passes the Martian Celestial Equator to southern hemisphere. Now the South Pole is visible, the central latitude of the Martian disk is on Mars' southern hemisphere.
Jan 19, 2022
Mars leaves constellation Ophiuchus and enters Sagittarius.
Feb 25, 2022
Northern Autumn, Southern Spring Equinox on Mars.
Mar 5, 2022
Mars leaves constellation Sagittarius and enters Capricornus.
Mar 20, 2022
Apparent diameter of Mars exceeds 5".
Apr 11, 2022
Mars leaves constellation Capricornus and enters Aquarius.
Apr 12, 2022
Apparent brightness of Mars exceeds +1.0 mag
May 14, 2022
As seen from Mars, Earth reaches the southernmost point of its apparent orbit at an areographic declination of -25.3 deg; this is equal to the maximal southern areographic latitude of the center of Mars' disk as seen from Earth
May 19, 2022
Mars leaves constellation Aquarius and enters Pisces.
May 26, 2022
Mars reaches its greatest southern heliocentric latitude (-1.8479d).
Jun 3, 2022
Mars leaves constellation Pisces and enters Cetus.
Jun 9, 2022
Mars leaves constellation Cetus and re-enters Pisces.
Jun 22, 2022
Mars in Perihelion (1.38131 AU, 206.6 million km).
Moon occults Mars.
Jun 26, 2022
Apparent brightness of Mars exceeds +0.5 mag
Jul 8, 2022
Mars leaves constellation Pisces and enters Aries.
Jul 21, 2022
Moon occults Mars.
Jul 22, 2022
Northern Winter, Southern Summer Equinox on Mars.
Aug 9, 2022
Mars leaves constellation Aries and enters Taurus.
Aug 10, 2022
From Mars, Earth is at its greatest Eastern elongation from the Sun at about 46 deg. From Earth, Mars phase is minimal, angle is 43 deg. Only 84 percent of the visible Mars hemisphere is illuminated.
Aug 21, 2022
Apparent brightness of Mars exceeds 0.0 mag
Sep 4, 2022
Apparent diameter of Mars exceeds 10".
Sep 26, 2022
Apparent brightness of Mars exceeds -0.5 mag
Oct 8, 2022
As seen from Mars, Earth passes the Martian Celestial Equator to northern hemisphere. Now the North Pole is visible, the central latitude of the Martian disk is on Mars' northern hemisphere. It will run a loop close to the Martian Celestial Equator around opposition.
Oct 20, 2022
Mars passes the ascending node of its orbit, moving to the north of Earth's orbital plane, the ecliptic, and getting northern ecliptic latitudes.
Oct 21, 2022
Apparent brightness of Mars exceeds -1.0 mag
Oct 30, 2022
Apparent diameter of Mars exceeds 15".
Mars becomes stationary and then starts its retrograde opposition loop, as Earth passes between the Red Planet and the Sun.
Nov 9, 2022
As seen from Mars, Earth passes the Martian Celestial Equator to southern hemisphere again temporarily.
Nov 13, 2022
Apparent brightness of Mars exceeds -1.5 mag
Dec 1, 2022
Closest Approach of Mars and Earth (0.54447 AU, 81.45 million km). Apparent diameter of Mars is 17.19".
Dec 8, 2022
Mars Opposition on Earth, Earth inferior conjunction on Mars. Apparent brightness of Mars reaches -1.87 mag in constellation Taurus.
Moon occults Mars.
Dec 23, 2022
Apparent brightness of Mars becomes fainter than -1.5 mag.
Dec 27, 2022
Northern Spring, Southern Autumn Equinox on Mars.
Dec 29, 2022
Apparent diameter of Mars decreases below 15".
Jan 1, 2023
Mars is seen in the evening sky in constellation Taurus at a distance of 0.638 AU (95.5 million km) at about -1.2 mag, apparent brightness and 14.7" apparent diameter.
Jan 3, 2023
Moon occults Mars.
Jan 7, 2023
Apparent brightness of Mars becomes fainter than -1.0 mag.
Jan 12, 2023
Mars becomes stationary to end its retrograde opposition loop as the Earth has passed it on its inner orbit, and proceeds in prograde apparent motion.
Jan 13, 2023
As seen from Mars, Earth moveds thru a mini-maximum of southern areographic latitude at about 9.4d during its loop close to the Martian Celestial Equator around opposition.
Jan 23, 2023
Apparent brightness of Mars becomes fainter than -0.5 mag.
Jan 31, 2023
Moon occults Mars.
Feb 7, 2023
Apparent diameter of Mars decreases below 10".
Feb 11, 2023
Apparent brightness of Mars becomes fainter than 0.0 mag.
Feb 28, 2023
Moon occults Mars.
Mar 5, 2023
Apparent brightness of Mars becomes fainter than +0.5 mag.
Mar 14, 2023
From Mars, Earth is at its greatest Western elongation from the Sun at about 43 deg. From Earth, Mars phase is minimal, angle is 43 deg. Only 89.7 percent of the visible Mars hemisphere is illuminated.
Mar 21, 2023
As seen from Mars, Earth passes the Martian Celestial Equator to northern hemisphere. Now the North Pole is visible, the central latitude of the Martian disk is on Mars' northern hemisphere. It ends its loop close to the Martian Celestial Equator around opposition.
Nar 26, 2023
Mars leaves constellation Taurus and enters Gemini.
Apr 2, 2023
Apparent brightness of Mars becomes fainter than +1.0 mag.
Apr 23, 2023
Mars reaches its greatest northern heliocentric latitude (+1.8479d).
May 16, 2023
Apparent diameter of Mars decreases below 5".
May 17, 2023
Mars leaves constellation Gemini and enters Cancer.
May 20, 2023
Apparent brightness of Mars becomes fainter than +1.5 mag.
May 30, 2023
Mars in Aphelion (1.6659 AU, 249.2 million km).
Jun 20, 2023
Mars leaves constellation Cancer and enters Leo.
Jul 13, 2023
Northern Summer, Southern Winter Solstice on Mars.
Aug 7, 2023
Mars at its least brightness (+1.77 mag).
Aug 17, 2023
Mars leaves constellation Leo and enters Virgo.
2023 Aug 19
As seen from Mars, Earth reaches the northernmost point of its apparent orbit at an areographic declination of +26.2 deg; this is equal to the maximal northern areographic latitude of the center of Mars' disk as seen from Earth
Sep 16, 2023
Moon occults Mars.
Oct 15, 2023
Moon occults Mars.
Oct 24, 2023
Mars leaves constellation Virgo and enters Libra.
Nov 6, 2023
Apparent brightness of Mars exceeds +1.5 mag.
Nov 18, 2023
Mars in conjunction with the Sun from Earth, in Libra. Earth in superior conjunction with the Sun as seen from Mars. Distance 378 million km (2.5264 AU), apparent diameter 3.707", brightness +1.43 mag. This conjunction ends the 2022 apparition of Mars. It also starts the 2024/25 apparition of Mars.

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Last Modification: July 23, 2023