Planets TonightMercury in 1955: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Aug 1
Closest (in table)0.552 au83 million km
Farthest1.447 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-01-28 17:27 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.6 | 0.963 | Capricornus | 18.4° |
| 1955-02-13 04:11 | Inferior conjunction | +5.2 | 0.648 | Capricornus | 3.7° |
| 1955-03-11 09:27 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.934 | Capricornus | 27.4° |
| 1955-04-23 13:34 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.329 | Aries | 0.5° |
| 1955-05-22 07:33 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.830 | Taurus | 22.4° |
| 1955-06-16 15:26 | Inferior conjunction | +6.1 | 0.553 | Taurus | 3.5° |
| 1955-07-09 20:11 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.848 | Taurus | 21.2° |
| 1955-08-06 01:56 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.345 | Cancer | 1.7° |
| 1955-09-19 01:42 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.970 | Virgo | 26.6° |
| 1955-10-14 05:40 | Inferior conjunction | +6.3 | 0.665 | Virgo | 1.7° |
| 1955-10-29 20:20 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.984 | Virgo | 18.6° |
| 1955-12-04 23:09 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.451 | Ophiuchus | 0.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.1 | 1.419 | Sagittarius | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.9 | 1.266 | Capricornus | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -0.1 | 0.859 | Aquarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | +4.3 | 0.643 | Capricornus | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +0.4 | 0.783 | Capricornus | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.1 | 0.994 | Aquarius | 27° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -0.3 | 1.209 | Aquarius | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -1.2 | 1.323 | Pisces | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | -1.6 | 1.256 | Aries | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -0.2 | 0.975 | Taurus | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.7 | 0.655 | Taurus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +6.1 | 0.552 | Taurus | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +1.5 | 0.688 | Taurus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -0.1 | 0.977 | Gemini | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -1.8 | 1.310 | Cancer | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -1.1 | 1.343 | Leo | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.1 | 1.207 | Virgo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.2 | 1.025 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.7 | 0.769 | Virgo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +5.7 | 0.672 | Virgo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.7 | 1.054 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.9 | 1.328 | Libra | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -1.3 | 1.447 | Scorpius | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.9 | 1.422 | Sagittarius | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
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 August 1955 (magnitude -1.8); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.