Planets TonightMercury in 1961: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.3around May 1
Closest (in table)0.575 au86 million km
Farthest1.450 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.0
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-01-06 08:05 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.434 | Sagittarius | 1.9° |
| 1961-02-06 21:31 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 0.953 | Aquarius | 18.2° |
| 1961-02-22 08:34 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.640 | Aquarius | 3.7° |
| 1961-03-21 05:05 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.912 | Aquarius | 27.7° |
| 1961-05-02 08:17 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.325 | Aries | 0.2° |
| 1961-06-01 12:45 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.824 | Gemini | 23.3° |
| 1961-06-27 20:41 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.560 | Gemini | 4.3° |
| 1961-07-19 18:11 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.862 | Gemini | 20.4° |
| 1961-08-14 23:56 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.352 | Leo | 1.8° |
| 1961-09-28 19:27 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.986 | Virgo | 26.0° |
| 1961-10-23 03:58 | Inferior conjunction | +6.5 | 0.669 | Virgo | 1.1° |
| 1961-11-08 00:20 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.991 | Virgo | 19.0° |
| 1961-12-16 17:03 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.449 | Ophiuchus | 1.3° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.2 | 1.441 | Sagittarius | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.1 | 1.381 | Capricornus | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -0.8 | 1.097 | Aquarius | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | +1.5 | 0.731 | Aquarius | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +2.2 | 0.651 | Capricornus | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +0.4 | 0.828 | Aquarius | 27° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -0.0 | 1.071 | Aquarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.6 | 1.240 | Cetus | 17° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -2.3 | 1.328 | Aries | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -1.0 | 1.170 | Taurus | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +0.4 | 0.824 | Gemini | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +2.2 | 0.615 | Gemini | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +4.7 | 0.575 | Orion | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +0.8 | 0.769 | Orion | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -1.1 | 1.167 | Gemini | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -1.9 | 1.354 | Leo | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.6 | 1.314 | Virgo | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | -0.1 | 1.176 | Virgo | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.1 | 0.942 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +1.5 | 0.711 | Virgo | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.3 | 0.818 | Virgo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.7 | 1.171 | Virgo | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.8 | 1.397 | Libra | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -1.3 | 1.450 | Ophiuchus | 1° 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 1961 (magnitude -2.3); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.