Planets TonightMercury in 1963: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.1around Apr 1
Closest (in table)0.563 au84 million km
Farthest1.438 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.2
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-01-04 17:41 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.988 | Capricornus | 19.4° |
| 1963-01-20 20:07 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.665 | Sagittarius | 3.2° |
| 1963-02-14 00:00 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.981 | Sagittarius | 26.1° |
| 1963-03-31 07:25 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.342 | Pisces | 1.1° |
| 1963-04-26 11:10 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.856 | Taurus | 20.4° |
| 1963-05-18 12:10 | Inferior conjunction | +7.0 | 0.552 | Taurus | 0.9° |
| 1963-06-13 14:50 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.822 | Taurus | 23.5° |
| 1963-07-14 06:30 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.332 | Gemini | 1.5° |
| 1963-08-24 19:30 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.922 | Virgo | 27.4° |
| 1963-09-20 13:46 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.648 | Virgo | 3.0° |
| 1963-10-06 05:22 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.962 | Virgo | 17.9° |
| 1963-11-05 10:07 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.437 | Libra | 0.2° |
| 1963-12-18 21:14 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 1.004 | Sagittarius | 20.3° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.7 | 1.069 | Capricornus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +1.9 | 0.724 | Capricornus | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.6 | 0.768 | Sagittarius | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.1 | 1.005 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.2 | 1.193 | Capricornus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.7 | 1.317 | Aquarius | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -2.1 | 1.335 | Pisces | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -0.9 | 1.123 | Aries | 16° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +0.9 | 0.747 | Taurus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +5.5 | 0.563 | Taurus | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +1.9 | 0.632 | Aries | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.3 | 0.858 | Taurus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.1 | 1.184 | Taurus | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -2.0 | 1.335 | Gemini | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.5 | 1.230 | Leo | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.1 | 1.055 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.5 | 0.808 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +3.0 | 0.649 | Virgo | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | +0.2 | 0.831 | Leo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.0 | 1.200 | Virgo | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.3 | 1.420 | Virgo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.9 | 1.438 | Libra | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.6 | 1.321 | Ophiuchus | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.082 | Sagittarius | 20° 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 April 1963 (magnitude -2.1); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.