Planets TonightMercury in 1987: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.7around Aug 15
Closest (in table)0.562 au84 million km
Farthest1.440 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.6
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-01-13 02:05 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.428 | Sagittarius | 2.0° |
| 1987-02-12 13:59 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 0.947 | Aquarius | 18.2° |
| 1987-02-28 02:40 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.635 | Aquarius | 3.7° |
| 1987-03-27 05:43 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.3 | 0.901 | Aquarius | 27.8° |
| 1987-05-07 19:24 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.324 | Aries | 0.1° |
| 1987-06-07 19:16 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.822 | Gemini | 23.8° |
| 1987-07-04 13:03 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.565 | Gemini | 4.6° |
| 1987-07-25 18:31 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.869 | Gemini | 20.0° |
| 1987-08-20 14:29 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.356 | Leo | 1.8° |
| 1987-10-04 19:21 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.994 | Virgo | 25.7° |
| 1987-10-28 16:49 | Inferior conjunction | +6.6 | 0.672 | Virgo | 0.8° |
| 1987-11-13 17:30 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.995 | Virgo | 19.2° |
| 1987-12-23 16:51 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.446 | Sagittarius | 1.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.428 | Sagittarius | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.4 | 1.418 | Sagittarius | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.1 | 1.221 | Capricornus | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -0.0 | 0.865 | Aquarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | +5.2 | 0.629 | Aquarius | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +0.8 | 0.732 | Aquarius | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.2 | 0.977 | Aquarius | 27° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.3 | 1.165 | Pisces | 21° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -1.5 | 1.317 | Aries | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -1.5 | 1.262 | Taurus | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +0.1 | 0.943 | Gemini | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.1 | 0.696 | Gemini | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +5.1 | 0.562 | Gemini | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +2.1 | 0.665 | Gemini | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -0.6 | 1.036 | Gemini | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -1.7 | 1.313 | Cancer | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.8 | 1.356 | Leo | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.2 | 1.253 | Virgo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.0 | 1.047 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.4 | 0.805 | Libra | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +2.9 | 0.706 | Virgo | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.6 | 1.040 | Virgo | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.7 | 1.337 | Libra | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -1.0 | 1.440 | Ophiuchus | 5° W | 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 August 1987 (magnitude -1.7); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.