Planets TonightMercury in 1953: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.6around Sep 1
Closest (in table)0.609 au91 million km
Farthest1.408 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-02-03 08:10 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.401 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 1953-03-02 16:50 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 0.925 | Pisces | 18.2° |
| 1953-03-18 22:35 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.613 | Pisces | 3.4° |
| 1953-04-15 19:14 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.861 | Pisces | 27.6° |
| 1953-05-24 22:38 | Superior conjunction | -2.5 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.4° |
| 1953-06-28 01:56 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.828 | Cancer | 25.5° |
| 1953-07-25 18:26 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.588 | Cancer | 5.0° |
| 1953-08-13 17:41 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.898 | Cancer | 18.8° |
| 1953-09-07 18:35 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.373 | Leo | 1.7° |
| 1953-10-24 01:33 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.0 | 1.013 | Libra | 24.3° |
| 1953-11-15 02:14 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.677 | Libra | 0.2° |
| 1953-12-02 04:18 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 1.007 | Libra | 20.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.4 | 1.249 | Ophiuchus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.6 | 1.384 | Sagittarius | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.4 | 1.408 | Capricornus | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.3 | 1.282 | Aquarius | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -0.5 | 0.958 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +4.0 | 0.644 | Pisces | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +1.2 | 0.669 | Aquarius | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.4 | 0.857 | Pisces | 28° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.1 | 1.096 | Pisces | 23° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -1.2 | 1.277 | Aries | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -1.5 | 1.272 | Taurus | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -0.2 | 1.047 | Gemini | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.7 | 0.775 | Cancer | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +2.5 | 0.609 | Cancer | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +3.1 | 0.647 | Cancer | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.2 | 0.944 | Cancer | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.6 | 1.317 | Leo | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -1.1 | 1.392 | Virgo | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.3 | 1.315 | Virgo | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.1 | 1.154 | Libra | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.2 | 0.848 | Scorpius | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +6.6 | 0.678 | Libra | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 0.991 | Libra | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.265 | Scorpius | 16° 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
Mercury is brightest around September 1953 (magnitude -1.6); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.