Planets TonightMercury in 1960: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.0around May 15
Closest (in table)0.574 au86 million km
Farthest1.421 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-2.1
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-01-27 00:10 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.411 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 1960-02-24 08:56 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 0.933 | Pisces | 18.1° |
| 1960-03-11 06:15 | Inferior conjunction | +5.6 | 0.622 | Pisces | 3.6° |
| 1960-04-07 21:51 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.3 | 0.875 | Aquarius | 27.8° |
| 1960-05-18 00:17 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.3° |
| 1960-06-19 22:59 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.824 | Gemini | 24.9° |
| 1960-07-17 09:33 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.579 | Gemini | 4.9° |
| 1960-08-06 03:57 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.887 | Gemini | 19.2° |
| 1960-08-31 08:33 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.366 | Leo | 1.7° |
| 1960-10-16 07:26 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.0 | 1.007 | Libra | 24.8° |
| 1960-11-08 01:39 | Inferior conjunction | +6.9 | 0.675 | Libra | 0.1° |
| 1960-11-24 16:36 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 1.003 | Libra | 19.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.6 | 1.335 | Ophiuchus | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.9 | 1.421 | Sagittarius | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.3 | 1.377 | Capricornus | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.0 | 1.166 | Aquarius | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +0.8 | 0.770 | Pisces | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +3.9 | 0.614 | Pisces | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +0.5 | 0.783 | Aquarius | 27° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.1 | 0.987 | Pisces | 26° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.7 | 1.209 | Pisces | 17° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -2.0 | 1.323 | Aries | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -0.8 | 1.162 | Taurus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.2 | 0.901 | Gemini | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.4 | 0.657 | Cancer | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +5.2 | 0.574 | Gemini | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | +0.8 | 0.777 | Gemini | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -0.9 | 1.127 | Cancer | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.8 | 1.372 | Leo | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.7 | 1.360 | Virgo | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.2 | 1.225 | Virgo | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.0 | 1.021 | Libra | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.7 | 0.715 | Libra | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | +0.8 | 0.774 | Libra | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.6 | 1.157 | Libra | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.7 | 1.361 | Ophiuchus | 12° W | 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 May 1960 (magnitude -2.0); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.