Planets TonightMercury in 1956: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.7around Jul 15
Closest (in table)0.565 au85 million km
Farthest1.448 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-01-12 03:29 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.981 | Capricornus | 19.0° |
| 1956-01-27 22:58 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.661 | Capricornus | 3.4° |
| 1956-02-21 19:24 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.969 | Capricornus | 26.6° |
| 1956-04-06 12:54 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.337 | Pisces | 0.9° |
| 1956-05-03 06:56 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.848 | Taurus | 20.9° |
| 1956-05-26 09:10 | Inferior conjunction | +6.7 | 0.550 | Taurus | 1.7° |
| 1956-06-20 17:28 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.828 | Taurus | 22.8° |
| 1956-07-20 06:00 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.335 | Cancer | 1.6° |
| 1956-08-31 13:42 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.937 | Virgo | 27.2° |
| 1956-09-26 22:19 | Inferior conjunction | +5.9 | 0.654 | Virgo | 2.6° |
| 1956-10-12 11:28 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.969 | Virgo | 18.1° |
| 1956-11-13 06:35 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.444 | Libra | 0.1° |
| 1956-12-25 09:18 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 0.998 | Sagittarius | 19.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.224 | Sagittarius | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.2 | 0.891 | Capricornus | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +2.7 | 0.668 | Capricornus | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +0.2 | 0.866 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.1 | 1.095 | Capricornus | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.4 | 1.253 | Aquarius | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -1.4 | 1.347 | Cetus | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.5 | 1.244 | Aries | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +0.0 | 0.888 | Taurus | 21° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +2.5 | 0.626 | Taurus | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +4.0 | 0.565 | Taurus | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +0.9 | 0.732 | Taurus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.4 | 1.056 | Taurus | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.7 | 1.303 | Gemini | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.9 | 1.301 | Leo | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.1 | 1.157 | Leo | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.3 | 0.923 | Virgo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.1 | 0.718 | Virgo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +3.0 | 0.701 | Virgo | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.7 | 1.052 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.1 | 1.370 | Virgo | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.3 | 1.448 | Libra | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.7 | 1.391 | Ophiuchus | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.212 | Sagittarius | 17° E | Evening 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 July 1956 (magnitude -1.7); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.