Planets TonightMercury in 1989: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.9around Jul 15
Closest (in table)0.579 au87 million km
Farthest1.448 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.0
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-01-09 11:49 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.984 | Capricornus | 19.1° |
| 1989-01-25 09:10 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.662 | Capricornus | 3.3° |
| 1989-02-19 00:45 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.972 | Capricornus | 26.4° |
| 1989-04-04 22:36 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.339 | Pisces | 1.0° |
| 1989-05-01 11:53 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.850 | Taurus | 20.8° |
| 1989-05-24 06:35 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.550 | Taurus | 1.5° |
| 1989-06-18 20:42 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.826 | Taurus | 23.0° |
| 1989-07-18 17:16 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.334 | Gemini | 1.5° |
| 1989-08-29 19:29 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.933 | Virgo | 27.3° |
| 1989-09-25 07:10 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.652 | Virgo | 2.7° |
| 1989-10-10 20:51 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.967 | Virgo | 18.0° |
| 1989-11-11 03:55 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.442 | Libra | 0.0° |
| 1989-12-23 16:58 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.999 | Sagittarius | 20.0° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.173 | Sagittarius | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.2 | 0.824 | Capricornus | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.5 | 0.695 | Sagittarius | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.1 | 0.915 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.0 | 1.123 | Capricornus | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.4 | 1.272 | Aquarius | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -1.7 | 1.348 | Cetus | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.4 | 1.217 | Aries | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +0.3 | 0.850 | Taurus | 21° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +3.1 | 0.604 | Taurus | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +3.4 | 0.579 | Taurus | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +0.8 | 0.764 | Taurus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.6 | 1.091 | Taurus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.9 | 1.316 | Gemini | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.7 | 1.284 | Leo | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.1 | 1.131 | Leo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.3 | 0.892 | Virgo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.4 | 0.694 | Virgo | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.9 | 0.728 | Virgo | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.8 | 1.093 | Virgo | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.1 | 1.386 | Virgo | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.2 | 1.448 | Libra | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.7 | 1.375 | Ophiuchus | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.181 | Sagittarius | 18° 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 July 1989 (magnitude -1.9); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.