Planets TonightMercury in 1979: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.2around Jun 1
Closest (in table)0.596 au89 million km
Farthest1.412 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-2.4
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-02-09 15:05 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.394 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 1979-03-08 09:58 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 0.919 | Pisces | 18.2° |
| 1979-03-24 23:05 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.607 | Pisces | 3.2° |
| 1979-04-21 21:57 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.852 | Pisces | 27.4° |
| 1979-05-30 08:31 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.6° |
| 1979-07-04 07:32 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.833 | Cancer | 25.9° |
| 1979-08-01 02:27 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.594 | Cancer | 4.9° |
| 1979-08-19 13:24 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.0 | 0.905 | Cancer | 18.6° |
| 1979-09-13 14:25 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.379 | Leo | 1.6° |
| 1979-10-30 01:23 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 1.016 | Libra | 23.9° |
| 1979-11-20 13:35 | Inferior conjunction | +6.7 | 0.678 | Libra | 0.5° |
| 1979-12-08 00:36 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 1.010 | Libra | 20.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.4 | 1.154 | Ophiuchus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.5 | 1.333 | Sagittarius | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -1.0 | 1.412 | Capricornus | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.4 | 1.351 | Aquarius | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.0 | 1.106 | Pisces | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +1.1 | 0.738 | Pisces | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +2.6 | 0.609 | Pisces | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +0.6 | 0.759 | Pisces | 26° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.1 | 0.999 | Pisces | 25° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.7 | 1.207 | Aries | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -2.2 | 1.316 | Taurus | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -0.7 | 1.152 | Gemini | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.4 | 0.878 | Cancer | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.3 | 0.676 | Cancer | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +5.4 | 0.596 | Cancer | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | +0.7 | 0.803 | Cancer | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.3 | 1.229 | Leo | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -1.7 | 1.388 | Virgo | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.5 | 1.366 | Virgo | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.2 | 1.241 | Libra | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.0 | 0.968 | Scorpius | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +2.1 | 0.706 | Scorpius | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | +0.0 | 0.851 | Libra | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.167 | Scorpius | 19° 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 1979 (magnitude -2.2); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.