Mars brighter in 2018 than since 2003 (earthsky.org)
By Deborah Byrd in Astronomy Essentials | January 8, 2018
In 2003, Mars was closer and brighter in our sky than in nearly 60,000 years. In 2018, Mars will be at its brightest since then! Start watching Mars now.
Remember Mars in 2003? That was the year the red planet came closer to Earth than it had been in some 60 thousand years. Mars can be a bright planet. It can outshine most stars. But, in 2003, for a few months, Mars was exceedingly spectacular in our sky, outshining all the stars and planets except brilliant Venus. In 2018, Mars won’t be quite as bright as it was in 2003. But nearly!
It’ll dramatically brighten over the coming months to appear as a red dot of brilliant flame in our sky around July, 2018.
More than any other bright planet, the appearance of Mars in our night sky changes from year to year. Its dramatic swings in brightness are part of what make Mars a fascinating planet to watch with the eye alone. Mars was faint throughout 2017. But it’s a bit brighter now, as you might have noticed on Sunday – January 7, 2018 – when Mars and Jupiter had their stunning conjunction before dawn (photos here). When you contrast the brightness of Mars and Jupiter in January 2018, you might not believe that Mars will be brighter than Jupiter in six months. But it’s true. In late July 2018, around the time Earth sweeps between Mars and the sun, Mars will outshine Jupiter by some 1.8 times.
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more: http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/why-is-mars-sometimes-bright-and-sometimes-faint
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