Planets TonightMercury in 1966: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Jun 1
Closest (in table)0.615 au92 million km
Farthest1.413 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.9
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-02-06 11:53 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.397 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 1966-03-05 13:21 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 0.922 | Pisces | 18.2° |
| 1966-03-21 22:37 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.610 | Pisces | 3.3° |
| 1966-04-18 20:30 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.856 | Pisces | 27.5° |
| 1966-05-27 15:37 | Superior conjunction | -2.5 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.5° |
| 1966-07-01 04:50 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.830 | Cancer | 25.7° |
| 1966-07-28 22:42 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.591 | Cancer | 5.0° |
| 1966-08-16 15:40 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.0 | 0.902 | Cancer | 18.7° |
| 1966-09-10 16:21 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.376 | Leo | 1.6° |
| 1966-10-27 01:30 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 1.014 | Libra | 24.1° |
| 1966-11-17 19:57 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.677 | Libra | 0.4° |
| 1966-12-05 02:22 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 1.009 | Libra | 20.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.4 | 1.204 | Ophiuchus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.5 | 1.361 | Sagittarius | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.2 | 1.413 | Capricornus | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.4 | 1.320 | Aquarius | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -0.8 | 1.034 | Pisces | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +2.4 | 0.684 | Pisces | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +1.8 | 0.635 | Pisces | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.5 | 0.807 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.0 | 1.048 | Pisces | 24° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.9 | 1.245 | Aries | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -1.8 | 1.300 | Taurus | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -0.4 | 1.101 | Gemini | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.6 | 0.826 | Cancer | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.8 | 0.639 | Cancer | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +4.5 | 0.615 | Cancer | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | +0.2 | 0.872 | Cancer | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.5 | 1.278 | Leo | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -1.3 | 1.393 | Virgo | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.4 | 1.343 | Virgo | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.2 | 1.199 | Libra | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.0 | 0.908 | Scorpius | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +4.2 | 0.681 | Libra | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.3 | 0.921 | Libra | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.219 | Scorpius | 18° 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 1966 (magnitude -1.8); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.