Planets TonightMercury in 1970: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.6around Jul 1
Closest (in table)0.562 au84 million km
Farthest1.440 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-01-13 18:14 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.669 | Sagittarius | 3.0° |
| 1970-02-06 04:41 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.0 | 0.992 | Sagittarius | 25.5° |
| 1970-03-23 23:58 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.347 | Pisces | 1.3° |
| 1970-04-18 17:22 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.866 | Aries | 19.9° |
| 1970-05-09 17:21 | Inferior conjunction | +7.3 | 0.557 | Aries | 0.0° |
| 1970-06-05 11:38 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.819 | Aries | 24.2° |
| 1970-07-07 07:38 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.329 | Gemini | 1.4° |
| 1970-08-17 00:35 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.906 | Leo | 27.4° |
| 1970-09-13 03:18 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.642 | Leo | 3.4° |
| 1970-09-28 23:21 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.955 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 1970-10-27 18:39 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.429 | Virgo | 0.5° |
| 1970-12-11 08:12 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.009 | Sagittarius | 20.8° |
| 1970-12-28 23:01 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.675 | Sagittarius | 2.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.2 | 0.886 | Sagittarius | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +4.5 | 0.668 | Sagittarius | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.1 | 0.910 | Sagittarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.1 | 1.132 | Capricornus | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.4 | 1.284 | Capricornus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -1.1 | 1.359 | Aquarius | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -1.5 | 1.261 | Pisces | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -0.3 | 0.946 | Aries | 19° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +3.0 | 0.620 | Aries | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +4.2 | 0.562 | Aries | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +0.8 | 0.751 | Aries | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.2 | 1.012 | Taurus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.6 | 1.291 | Gemini | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -1.3 | 1.309 | Cancer | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.1 | 1.125 | Leo | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.3 | 0.928 | Leo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.3 | 0.693 | Virgo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +4.7 | 0.660 | Leo | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.6 | 1.026 | Leo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.2 | 1.325 | Virgo | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.2 | 1.440 | Libra | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.6 | 1.396 | Scorpius | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 1.209 | Sagittarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.2 | 0.908 | 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 July 1970 (magnitude -1.6); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.