Planets TonightMercury in 1977: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.2around Jul 1
Closest (in table)0.563 au84 million km
Farthest1.424 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.2
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-01-06 17:07 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.671 | Sagittarius | 2.8° |
| 1977-01-29 09:08 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.1 | 1.001 | Sagittarius | 24.9° |
| 1977-03-16 14:25 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.354 | Pisces | 1.5° |
| 1977-04-11 01:37 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.875 | Aries | 19.5° |
| 1977-05-01 01:43 | Inferior conjunction | +7.1 | 0.564 | Aries | 0.8° |
| 1977-05-28 08:24 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.819 | Aries | 24.9° |
| 1977-06-30 09:22 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.327 | Gemini | 1.3° |
| 1977-08-09 04:59 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.891 | Leo | 27.4° |
| 1977-09-05 14:41 | Inferior conjunction | +5.6 | 0.635 | Sextans | 3.8° |
| 1977-09-21 17:09 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.948 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 1977-10-19 08:16 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.420 | Virgo | 0.8° |
| 1977-12-03 17:59 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 1.013 | Sagittarius | 21.3° |
| 1977-12-21 23:07 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.676 | Sagittarius | 2.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.7 | 0.724 | Sagittarius | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +0.7 | 0.747 | Sagittarius | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.1 | 1.053 | Sagittarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.2 | 1.239 | Capricornus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.6 | 1.347 | Aquarius | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -1.8 | 1.359 | Aquarius | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -1.1 | 1.120 | Pisces | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.8 | 0.770 | Aries | 18° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +6.9 | 0.563 | Aries | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +1.7 | 0.632 | Aries | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.3 | 0.892 | Aries | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.7 | 1.158 | Taurus | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -2.2 | 1.328 | Gemini | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -0.7 | 1.233 | Cancer | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.2 | 1.003 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.6 | 0.800 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +3.8 | 0.629 | Leo | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | +0.9 | 0.782 | Leo | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -1.2 | 1.202 | Virgo | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -1.5 | 1.398 | Virgo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.7 | 1.424 | Libra | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.5 | 1.322 | Ophiuchus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.4 | 1.063 | Sagittarius | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +1.1 | 0.744 | Sagittarius | 14° E | 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 July 1977 (magnitude -2.2); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.