Planets TonightMercury in 1969: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.7around Apr 15
Closest (in table)0.552 au83 million km
Farthest1.443 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-01-14 00:18 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.979 | Capricornus | 18.9° |
| 1969-01-29 17:48 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.659 | Aquarius | 3.5° |
| 1969-02-23 19:40 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.964 | Capricornus | 26.7° |
| 1969-04-09 08:00 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.336 | Pisces | 0.9° |
| 1969-05-06 07:56 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.845 | Taurus | 21.1° |
| 1969-05-29 18:49 | Inferior conjunction | +6.6 | 0.549 | Taurus | 2.0° |
| 1969-06-23 20:04 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.830 | Taurus | 22.5° |
| 1969-07-22 23:34 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.336 | Cancer | 1.6° |
| 1969-09-03 13:38 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.942 | Virgo | 27.1° |
| 1969-09-29 18:29 | Inferior conjunction | +6.0 | 0.656 | Virgo | 2.5° |
| 1969-10-15 07:11 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.971 | Virgo | 18.1° |
| 1969-11-16 16:46 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.446 | Libra | 0.2° |
| 1969-12-28 06:53 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.995 | Sagittarius | 19.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.257 | Sagittarius | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.4 | 0.939 | Capricornus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +3.8 | 0.657 | Capricornus | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +0.3 | 0.829 | Capricornus | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.0 | 1.048 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.3 | 1.219 | Aquarius | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -1.2 | 1.340 | Pisces | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.7 | 1.284 | Aries | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | -0.2 | 0.956 | Taurus | 20° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +1.7 | 0.669 | Taurus | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +5.5 | 0.552 | Taurus | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +1.4 | 0.683 | Taurus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.2 | 0.993 | Taurus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.5 | 1.270 | Gemini | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -1.1 | 1.322 | Leo | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.2 | 1.197 | Leo | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.2 | 0.973 | Virgo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.7 | 0.761 | Virgo | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +5.1 | 0.668 | Virgo | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.5 | 0.977 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.1 | 1.337 | Virgo | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.5 | 1.443 | Libra | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.8 | 1.413 | Ophiuchus | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.7 | 1.261 | Sagittarius | 16° 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 1969 (magnitude -1.7); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.