Planets TonightMercury in 1974: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.9around Aug 15
Closest (in table)0.563 au84 million km
Farthest1.447 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-01-09 17:21 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.431 | Sagittarius | 1.9° |
| 1974-02-09 17:45 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.950 | Aquarius | 18.2° |
| 1974-02-25 05:30 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.637 | Aquarius | 3.7° |
| 1974-03-24 05:23 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.3 | 0.907 | Aquarius | 27.8° |
| 1974-05-05 01:54 | Superior conjunction | -2.5 | 1.325 | Aries | 0.1° |
| 1974-06-04 16:00 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.823 | Gemini | 23.6° |
| 1974-07-01 05:05 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.562 | Gemini | 4.4° |
| 1974-07-22 18:31 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.866 | Gemini | 20.2° |
| 1974-08-17 19:07 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.354 | Leo | 1.8° |
| 1974-10-01 19:24 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.990 | Virgo | 25.8° |
| 1974-10-25 22:27 | Inferior conjunction | +6.5 | 0.671 | Virgo | 1.0° |
| 1974-11-10 20:50 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.993 | Virgo | 19.1° |
| 1974-12-20 05:02 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.448 | Sagittarius | 1.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.0 | 1.437 | Sagittarius | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.2 | 1.402 | Sagittarius | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.0 | 1.163 | Aquarius | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.5 | 0.793 | Aquarius | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | +3.5 | 0.632 | Aquarius | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +0.6 | 0.779 | Aquarius | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.1 | 1.025 | Aquarius | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.4 | 1.205 | Pisces | 19° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -1.8 | 1.327 | Aries | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -1.2 | 1.220 | Taurus | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +0.3 | 0.883 | Gemini | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.6 | 0.652 | Gemini | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +5.7 | 0.563 | Gemini | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +1.4 | 0.713 | Gemini | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -0.8 | 1.104 | Gemini | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -1.9 | 1.339 | Leo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.7 | 1.337 | Leo | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.2 | 1.216 | Virgo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.1 | 0.995 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.8 | 0.755 | Libra | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.2 | 0.754 | Virgo | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.7 | 1.108 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.8 | 1.369 | Libra | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -1.1 | 1.447 | Ophiuchus | 3° 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 August 1974 (magnitude -1.9); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.