Planets TonightMercury in 1976: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.2around Jul 15
Closest (in table)0.576 au86 million km
Farthest1.444 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.1
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-01-07 14:47 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.6 | 0.986 | Capricornus | 19.2° |
| 1976-01-23 14:32 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.664 | Capricornus | 3.3° |
| 1976-02-17 00:21 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.977 | Capricornus | 26.3° |
| 1976-04-02 03:05 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.340 | Pisces | 1.0° |
| 1976-04-28 11:23 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.853 | Taurus | 20.6° |
| 1976-05-20 21:14 | Inferior conjunction | +7.0 | 0.551 | Taurus | 1.2° |
| 1976-06-15 17:47 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.824 | Taurus | 23.2° |
| 1976-07-15 23:50 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.333 | Gemini | 1.5° |
| 1976-08-26 19:30 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.927 | Virgo | 27.3° |
| 1976-09-22 10:34 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.650 | Virgo | 2.9° |
| 1976-10-08 01:05 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.965 | Virgo | 18.0° |
| 1976-11-07 18:43 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.440 | Libra | 0.1° |
| 1976-12-20 19:09 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 1.002 | Sagittarius | 20.2° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.134 | Sagittarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.6 | 0.781 | Capricornus | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.0 | 0.721 | Sagittarius | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.1 | 0.952 | Sagittarius | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.1 | 1.165 | Capricornus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.5 | 1.300 | Aquarius | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -2.1 | 1.343 | Pisces | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.2 | 1.162 | Aries | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +0.7 | 0.786 | Taurus | 20° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +4.5 | 0.576 | Taurus | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +2.4 | 0.608 | Taurus | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.5 | 0.819 | Taurus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.8 | 1.149 | Taurus | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -2.2 | 1.331 | Gemini | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.6 | 1.254 | Leo | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.1 | 1.087 | Leo | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.5 | 0.842 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +2.2 | 0.664 | Virgo | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | +0.8 | 0.788 | Leo | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -1.0 | 1.161 | Virgo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.3 | 1.409 | Virgo | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.0 | 1.444 | Libra | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.6 | 1.345 | Ophiuchus | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.123 | Sagittarius | 19° 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 1976 (magnitude -2.2); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.