Planets TonightMercury in 1972: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.9around Jun 1
Closest (in table)0.594 au89 million km
Farthest1.403 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-01-01 23:16 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.2 | 1.016 | Ophiuchus | 22.6° |
| 1972-02-17 15:37 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.384 | Aquarius | 2.0° |
| 1972-03-14 18:57 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.2 | 0.910 | Pisces | 18.4° |
| 1972-03-31 20:59 | Inferior conjunction | +6.0 | 0.597 | Pisces | 2.9° |
| 1972-04-28 21:28 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.840 | Cetus | 27.0° |
| 1972-06-05 06:21 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.7° |
| 1972-07-11 08:28 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.842 | Cancer | 26.4° |
| 1972-08-08 05:02 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.604 | Cancer | 4.8° |
| 1972-08-26 00:14 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.1 | 0.915 | Cancer | 18.3° |
| 1972-09-20 05:14 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.387 | Virgo | 1.5° |
| 1972-11-05 18:53 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.2 | 1.018 | Scorpius | 23.3° |
| 1972-11-26 13:27 | Inferior conjunction | +6.5 | 0.678 | Scorpius | 0.9° |
| 1972-12-14 14:59 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.3 | 1.013 | Libra | 21.2° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.2 | 1.006 | Ophiuchus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.4 | 1.240 | Sagittarius | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.7 | 1.384 | Capricornus | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.5 | 1.393 | Capricornus | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.3 | 1.238 | Aquarius | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -0.1 | 0.890 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +6.1 | 0.594 | Pisces | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +1.3 | 0.659 | Pisces | 22° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.3 | 0.881 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.3 | 1.105 | Cetus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -1.9 | 1.313 | Taurus | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -1.1 | 1.250 | Gemini | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +0.0 | 1.000 | Cancer | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.7 | 0.780 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +3.2 | 0.603 | Leo | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | +2.5 | 0.679 | Cancer | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.8 | 1.091 | Leo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.6 | 1.350 | Leo | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.9 | 1.403 | Virgo | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.4 | 1.323 | Libra | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.2 | 1.098 | Scorpius | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.3 | 0.816 | Ophiuchus | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +1.9 | 0.722 | Libra | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.4 | 1.033 | Scorpius | 21° 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 1972 (magnitude -1.9); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.