Planets TonightMercury in 1988: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.0around Aug 1
Closest (in table)0.555 au83 million km
Farthest1.451 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-01-27 02:11 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.966 | Capricornus | 18.5° |
| 1988-02-11 13:22 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.650 | Capricornus | 3.7° |
| 1988-03-08 14:52 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.939 | Capricornus | 27.4° |
| 1988-04-21 00:13 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.330 | Aries | 0.5° |
| 1988-05-19 11:10 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.832 | Taurus | 22.2° |
| 1988-06-13 12:54 | Inferior conjunction | +6.2 | 0.551 | Taurus | 3.3° |
| 1988-07-07 00:33 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.845 | Taurus | 21.4° |
| 1988-08-03 12:29 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.343 | Cancer | 1.7° |
| 1988-09-16 07:34 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.966 | Virgo | 26.7° |
| 1988-10-11 15:33 | Inferior conjunction | +6.2 | 0.664 | Virgo | 1.8° |
| 1988-10-27 05:23 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.982 | Virgo | 18.5° |
| 1988-12-01 18:22 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.451 | Ophiuchus | 0.8° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.1 | 1.409 | Sagittarius | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.0 | 1.238 | Capricornus | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.3 | 0.818 | Aquarius | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | +3.3 | 0.649 | Aquarius | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +0.4 | 0.829 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.1 | 1.038 | Aquarius | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -0.5 | 1.240 | Aquarius | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -1.5 | 1.333 | Pisces | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | -1.3 | 1.215 | Aries | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +0.1 | 0.916 | Taurus | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +2.3 | 0.618 | Taurus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +5.7 | 0.555 | Taurus | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +1.0 | 0.735 | Taurus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -0.5 | 1.039 | Gemini | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -2.0 | 1.332 | Cancer | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.8 | 1.327 | Leo | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.1 | 1.171 | Virgo | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.2 | 0.979 | Virgo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.0 | 0.727 | Virgo | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +3.1 | 0.700 | Virgo | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.8 | 1.118 | Virgo | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.9 | 1.361 | Libra | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -1.4 | 1.451 | Ophiuchus | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.9 | 1.404 | Sagittarius | 8° E | 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 1988 (magnitude -2.0); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.