Planets TonightMercury in 1985: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.6around Jun 1
Closest (in table)0.611 au91 million km
Farthest1.410 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-01-03 23:14 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.2 | 1.015 | Ophiuchus | 22.8° |
| 1985-02-19 16:48 | Superior conjunction | -1.7 | 1.381 | Aquarius | 1.9° |
| 1985-03-17 15:53 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.2 | 0.907 | Pisces | 18.5° |
| 1985-04-03 23:05 | Inferior conjunction | +6.1 | 0.594 | Pisces | 2.7° |
| 1985-05-01 23:35 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.837 | Pisces | 26.9° |
| 1985-06-07 23:09 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.8° |
| 1985-07-14 10:27 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.846 | Leo | 26.5° |
| 1985-08-11 07:07 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.607 | Cancer | 4.7° |
| 1985-08-28 21:18 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.2 | 0.919 | Cancer | 18.2° |
| 1985-09-23 04:49 | Superior conjunction | -1.7 | 1.390 | Virgo | 1.5° |
| 1985-11-08 18:29 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.2 | 1.019 | Ophiuchus | 23.1° |
| 1985-11-29 06:56 | Inferior conjunction | +6.5 | 0.678 | Scorpius | 1.0° |
| 1985-12-17 13:52 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.3 | 1.014 | Scorpius | 21.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.1 | 0.965 | Ophiuchus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.3 | 1.210 | Sagittarius | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.6 | 1.371 | Capricornus | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.4 | 1.396 | Capricornus | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.4 | 1.284 | Aquarius | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -0.4 | 0.966 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +4.9 | 0.611 | Pisces | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +1.9 | 0.624 | Cetus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.4 | 0.830 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.2 | 1.055 | Pisces | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -1.6 | 1.293 | Taurus | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -1.4 | 1.283 | Gemini | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | -0.1 | 1.052 | Cancer | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.5 | 0.830 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +2.2 | 0.624 | Leo | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +3.8 | 0.641 | Cancer | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.6 | 1.018 | Leo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.4 | 1.319 | Leo | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -1.1 | 1.410 | Virgo | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.5 | 1.351 | Virgo | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.3 | 1.150 | Scorpius | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.1 | 0.877 | Scorpius | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +4.1 | 0.689 | Scorpius | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.2 | 0.967 | Libra | 21° 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 1985 (magnitude -1.6); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.