Planets TonightMercury in 1971: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.6around Jun 15
Closest (in table)0.605 au91 million km
Farthest1.426 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-01-19 13:00 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.1 | 1.009 | Sagittarius | 24.1° |
| 1971-03-07 04:02 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.363 | Aquarius | 1.7° |
| 1971-04-01 13:57 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 0.888 | Aries | 19.0° |
| 1971-04-20 08:33 | Inferior conjunction | +6.6 | 0.575 | Aries | 1.7° |
| 1971-05-18 02:21 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.822 | Pisces | 25.8° |
| 1971-06-21 18:32 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.324 | Taurus | 1.1° |
| 1971-07-30 07:45 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.871 | Leo | 27.2° |
| 1971-08-27 00:01 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.624 | Leo | 4.2° |
| 1971-09-12 14:04 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.3 | 0.937 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 1971-10-08 23:45 | Superior conjunction | -1.7 | 1.408 | Virgo | 1.1° |
| 1971-11-24 03:52 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 1.017 | Ophiuchus | 22.0° |
| 1971-12-13 06:01 | Inferior conjunction | +6.1 | 0.678 | Ophiuchus | 1.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +3.0 | 0.688 | Sagittarius | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.1 | 0.932 | Sagittarius | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.3 | 1.208 | Sagittarius | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.5 | 1.339 | Capricornus | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.3 | 1.381 | Aquarius | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -1.5 | 1.282 | Pisces | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -0.1 | 0.890 | Aries | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +4.0 | 0.612 | Aries | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +2.2 | 0.605 | Pisces | 17° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +0.6 | 0.781 | Pisces | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -0.3 | 1.075 | Aries | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -1.6 | 1.289 | Taurus | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | -1.2 | 1.276 | Gemini | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -0.1 | 1.092 | Cancer | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.5 | 0.839 | Leo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +1.6 | 0.661 | Sextans | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +2.9 | 0.680 | Leo | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.6 | 1.018 | Leo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -1.4 | 1.347 | Virgo | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -1.1 | 1.426 | Virgo | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.5 | 1.356 | Libra | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.4 | 1.182 | Ophiuchus | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.1 | 0.851 | Sagittarius | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +4.1 | 0.686 | Ophiuchus | 6° 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 June 1971 (magnitude -1.6); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.