Planets TonightMercury in 1997: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Mar 15
Closest (in table)0.568 au85 million km
Farthest1.420 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-02 10:21 | Inferior conjunction | +5.6 | 0.673 | Sagittarius | 2.6° |
| 1997-01-24 13:53 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.0 | 1.005 | Sagittarius | 24.5° |
| 1997-03-12 00:34 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.358 | Aquarius | 1.6° |
| 1997-04-06 10:07 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.882 | Aries | 19.2° |
| 1997-04-25 19:32 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.569 | Aries | 1.2° |
| 1997-05-23 08:17 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.820 | Aries | 25.4° |
| 1997-06-26 04:13 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.325 | Gemini | 1.2° |
| 1997-08-04 09:30 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.881 | Leo | 27.3° |
| 1997-08-31 22:42 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.630 | Sextans | 4.0° |
| 1997-09-17 06:19 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.942 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 1997-10-14 06:02 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.414 | Virgo | 1.0° |
| 1997-11-29 01:50 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.016 | Sagittarius | 21.6° |
| 1997-12-17 16:53 | Inferior conjunction | +5.9 | 0.677 | Ophiuchus | 1.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +5.4 | 0.676 | Sagittarius | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +0.2 | 0.833 | Sagittarius | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.1 | 1.133 | Sagittarius | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.4 | 1.293 | Capricornus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.9 | 1.371 | Aquarius | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -1.8 | 1.334 | Pisces | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -0.5 | 1.011 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +1.9 | 0.680 | Aries | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +4.3 | 0.568 | Aries | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +1.1 | 0.699 | Pisces | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -0.0 | 0.983 | Aries | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -1.2 | 1.232 | Taurus | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | -1.5 | 1.315 | Gemini | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -0.4 | 1.169 | Cancer | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.3 | 0.923 | Leo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.8 | 0.727 | Leo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +5.4 | 0.633 | Sextans | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.1 | 0.893 | Leo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -1.2 | 1.284 | Virgo | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -1.6 | 1.420 | Virgo | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.6 | 1.397 | Libra | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.5 | 1.260 | Ophiuchus | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.3 | 0.961 | Sagittarius | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +4.4 | 0.686 | Sagittarius | 5° 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 March 1997 (magnitude -1.8); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.