Planets TonightMercury in 1983: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.6around Apr 1
Closest (in table)0.553 au83 million km
Farthest1.437 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.9
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-01-16 12:24 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.667 | Sagittarius | 3.1° |
| 1983-02-09 05:02 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.0 | 0.988 | Sagittarius | 25.7° |
| 1983-03-26 20:25 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.345 | Pisces | 1.2° |
| 1983-04-21 16:59 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.862 | Aries | 20.1° |
| 1983-05-13 01:36 | Inferior conjunction | +7.2 | 0.555 | Aries | 0.3° |
| 1983-06-08 14:45 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.820 | Taurus | 24.0° |
| 1983-07-10 00:48 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.330 | Gemini | 1.4° |
| 1983-08-20 00:55 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.911 | Leo | 27.4° |
| 1983-09-16 00:49 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.644 | Leo | 3.3° |
| 1983-10-01 19:04 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.3 | 0.958 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 1983-10-31 01:28 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.432 | Virgo | 0.4° |
| 1983-12-14 06:31 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.007 | Sagittarius | 20.6° |
| 1983-12-31 16:40 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.674 | Sagittarius | 2.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.3 | 0.959 | Capricornus | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +5.0 | 0.672 | Sagittarius | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.2 | 0.854 | Sagittarius | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.1 | 1.085 | Capricornus | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.3 | 1.252 | Capricornus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.9 | 1.348 | Aquarius | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -1.6 | 1.298 | Pisces | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -0.6 | 1.017 | Aries | 18° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +1.9 | 0.663 | Taurus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +5.9 | 0.553 | Aries | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +1.0 | 0.701 | Aries | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.0 | 0.953 | Taurus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.4 | 1.256 | Taurus | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -1.6 | 1.326 | Cancer | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.3 | 1.167 | Leo | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.2 | 0.977 | Leo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.9 | 0.734 | Virgo | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +5.6 | 0.642 | Leo | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.3 | 0.949 | Leo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.1 | 1.283 | Virgo | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.5 | 1.437 | Libra | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.7 | 1.416 | Scorpius | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 1.256 | Ophiuchus | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.3 | 0.977 | Sagittarius | 21° 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 April 1983 (magnitude -1.6); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.