Planets TonightMercury in 1996: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Apr 1
Closest (in table)0.554 au83 million km
Farthest1.432 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.2
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-03 01:45 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.990 | Capricornus | 19.5° |
| 1996-01-19 06:39 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.666 | Sagittarius | 3.2° |
| 1996-02-12 05:23 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.984 | Sagittarius | 25.9° |
| 1996-03-28 16:36 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.343 | Cetus | 1.2° |
| 1996-04-23 16:48 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.859 | Aries | 20.2° |
| 1996-05-15 10:12 | Inferior conjunction | +7.1 | 0.554 | Taurus | 0.6° |
| 1996-06-10 17:52 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.821 | Taurus | 23.7° |
| 1996-07-11 18:00 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.331 | Gemini | 1.5° |
| 1996-08-22 01:09 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.917 | Virgo | 27.4° |
| 1996-09-17 22:05 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.646 | Leo | 3.1° |
| 1996-10-03 14:47 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.960 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 1996-11-02 08:55 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.435 | Libra | 0.3° |
| 1996-12-16 04:40 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.005 | Sagittarius | 20.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.6 | 1.030 | Sagittarius | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +2.9 | 0.700 | Capricornus | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.4 | 0.799 | Sagittarius | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.0 | 1.036 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.2 | 1.227 | Capricornus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.8 | 1.336 | Aquarius | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -1.8 | 1.316 | Pisces | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -0.7 | 1.062 | Aries | 17° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +1.4 | 0.695 | Taurus | 17° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +7.1 | 0.554 | Taurus | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +1.4 | 0.670 | Aries | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.1 | 0.913 | Taurus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.3 | 1.229 | Taurus | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -1.7 | 1.333 | Gemini | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.3 | 1.195 | Leo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.1 | 1.011 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.6 | 0.765 | Virgo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +4.6 | 0.640 | Virgo | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.2 | 0.900 | Leo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.0 | 1.251 | Virgo | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.5 | 1.432 | Libra | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.8 | 1.427 | Scorpius | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.6 | 1.285 | Ophiuchus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.5 | 1.022 | Sagittarius | 20° 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 April 1996 (magnitude -1.8); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.