Planets TonightMercury in 1959: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.1around Jun 1
Closest (in table)0.592 au89 million km
Farthest1.399 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-02-14 13:54 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.387 | Capricornus | 2.0° |
| 1959-03-12 22:05 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 0.913 | Pisces | 18.3° |
| 1959-03-29 19:17 | Inferior conjunction | +5.9 | 0.600 | Pisces | 3.0° |
| 1959-04-26 19:26 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.844 | Cetus | 27.2° |
| 1959-06-03 13:29 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.7° |
| 1959-07-09 06:18 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.839 | Cancer | 26.2° |
| 1959-08-06 02:32 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.600 | Cancer | 4.9° |
| 1959-08-24 02:59 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.1 | 0.912 | Cancer | 18.4° |
| 1959-09-18 06:04 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.384 | Virgo | 1.6° |
| 1959-11-03 19:13 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 1.017 | Scorpius | 23.5° |
| 1959-11-24 19:55 | Inferior conjunction | +6.6 | 0.678 | Libra | 0.8° |
| 1959-12-12 16:11 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.3 | 1.012 | Libra | 21.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.3 | 1.066 | Ophiuchus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.4 | 1.279 | Sagittarius | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.8 | 1.399 | Capricornus | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.6 | 1.382 | Aquarius | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.2 | 1.205 | Pisces | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +0.1 | 0.843 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +5.2 | 0.592 | Pisces | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +1.0 | 0.687 | Pisces | 23° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.2 | 0.916 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.5 | 1.137 | Aries | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -2.1 | 1.320 | Taurus | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -1.0 | 1.225 | Gemini | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +0.1 | 0.964 | Cancer | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.8 | 0.747 | Cancer | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +4.1 | 0.594 | Cancer | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | +1.7 | 0.710 | Cancer | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.9 | 1.135 | Leo | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.7 | 1.365 | Leo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.8 | 1.394 | Virgo | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.3 | 1.300 | Libra | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.1 | 1.061 | Scorpius | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.7 | 0.778 | Ophiuchus | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +1.1 | 0.753 | Libra | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.4 | 1.074 | Libra | 21° 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 June 1959 (magnitude -2.1); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.