Planets TonightMercury in 1973: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Sep 1
Closest (in table)0.578 au86 million km
Farthest1.412 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.9
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-01-29 05:30 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.407 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 1973-02-26 05:16 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 0.930 | Pisces | 18.1° |
| 1973-03-14 05:16 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.619 | Pisces | 3.5° |
| 1973-04-10 22:53 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.870 | Aquarius | 27.7° |
| 1973-05-20 17:23 | Superior conjunction | -2.5 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.3° |
| 1973-06-23 02:05 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.825 | Gemini | 25.1° |
| 1973-07-20 15:04 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.582 | Gemini | 5.0° |
| 1973-08-09 02:36 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.0 | 0.891 | Cancer | 19.1° |
| 1973-09-03 05:24 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.369 | Leo | 1.7° |
| 1973-10-19 07:20 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.0 | 1.009 | Libra | 24.7° |
| 1973-11-10 19:31 | Inferior conjunction | +6.9 | 0.676 | Libra | 0.0° |
| 1973-11-27 14:08 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 1.005 | Libra | 20.0° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.5 | 1.312 | Ophiuchus | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.8 | 1.412 | Sagittarius | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.4 | 1.389 | Capricornus | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.1 | 1.204 | Aquarius | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +0.1 | 0.840 | Pisces | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +5.5 | 0.613 | Pisces | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +0.7 | 0.736 | Aquarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.2 | 0.937 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.4 | 1.168 | Pisces | 20° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -1.6 | 1.312 | Aries | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -1.0 | 1.210 | Taurus | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +0.1 | 0.958 | Gemini | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.1 | 0.698 | Cancer | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +4.1 | 0.578 | Cancer | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | +1.4 | 0.719 | Gemini | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -0.7 | 1.058 | Cancer | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.8 | 1.358 | Leo | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.8 | 1.376 | Virgo | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.2 | 1.263 | Virgo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.1 | 1.075 | Libra | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.7 | 0.761 | Libra | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +2.1 | 0.721 | Libra | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 1.096 | Libra | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.328 | Ophiuchus | 14° 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 September 1973 (magnitude -1.8); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.