Planets TonightMercury in 1986: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.6around Sep 1
Closest (in table)0.594 au89 million km
Farthest1.404 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-02-01 10:10 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.404 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 1986-03-01 01:35 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 0.927 | Pisces | 18.2° |
| 1986-03-17 04:33 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.616 | Pisces | 3.4° |
| 1986-04-13 23:55 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.865 | Aquarius | 27.7° |
| 1986-05-23 10:24 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.4° |
| 1986-06-26 05:07 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.827 | Cancer | 25.3° |
| 1986-07-23 20:09 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.585 | Cancer | 5.0° |
| 1986-08-12 00:59 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.0 | 0.895 | Cancer | 18.9° |
| 1986-09-06 02:31 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.371 | Leo | 1.7° |
| 1986-10-22 07:16 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 1.011 | Libra | 24.5° |
| 1986-11-13 13:18 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.676 | Libra | 0.1° |
| 1986-11-30 11:49 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 1.006 | Libra | 20.2° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.5 | 1.274 | Ophiuchus | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.7 | 1.396 | Sagittarius | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.5 | 1.404 | Capricornus | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.2 | 1.256 | Aquarius | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -0.2 | 0.915 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +5.0 | 0.628 | Pisces | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +1.0 | 0.693 | Aquarius | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.3 | 0.888 | Pisces | 28° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.3 | 1.124 | Pisces | 22° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -1.4 | 1.293 | Aries | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -1.3 | 1.252 | Taurus | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -0.1 | 1.014 | Gemini | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.8 | 0.745 | Cancer | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +2.9 | 0.594 | Cancer | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | +2.3 | 0.670 | Gemini | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.4 | 0.986 | Cancer | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.6 | 1.334 | Leo | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -1.0 | 1.387 | Virgo | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.3 | 1.296 | Virgo | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.1 | 1.125 | Libra | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.3 | 0.815 | Libra | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +4.4 | 0.687 | Libra | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.4 | 1.030 | Libra | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.290 | Ophiuchus | 15° 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 September 1986 (magnitude -1.6); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.