Planets TonightMercury in 2000: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.7around May 15
Closest (in table)0.569 au85 million km
Farthest1.431 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01-16 10:18 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.424 | Sagittarius | 2.0° |
| 2000-02-15 10:15 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.944 | Aquarius | 18.1° |
| 2000-03-02 00:10 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.632 | Aquarius | 3.7° |
| 2000-03-29 06:13 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.895 | Aquarius | 27.8° |
| 2000-05-09 12:49 | Superior conjunction | -2.5 | 1.324 | Aries | 0.0° |
| 2000-06-09 22:31 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.6 | 0.822 | Gemini | 24.0° |
| 2000-07-06 20:34 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.568 | Gemini | 4.7° |
| 2000-07-27 18:16 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.873 | Gemini | 19.8° |
| 2000-08-22 10:05 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.358 | Leo | 1.8° |
| 2000-10-06 19:18 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.0 | 0.997 | Libra | 25.5° |
| 2000-10-30 11:08 | Inferior conjunction | +6.7 | 0.672 | Virgo | 0.7° |
| 2000-11-15 14:22 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.997 | Virgo | 19.3° |
| 2000-12-26 04:23 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.444 | Sagittarius | 1.6° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.7 | 1.414 | Sagittarius | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.3 | 1.427 | Sagittarius | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.2 | 1.271 | Capricornus | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -0.5 | 0.942 | Aquarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | +5.4 | 0.635 | Aquarius | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +1.0 | 0.702 | Aquarius | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.3 | 0.943 | Aquarius | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.2 | 1.136 | Pisces | 22° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -1.3 | 1.305 | Aries | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -1.7 | 1.283 | Taurus | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -0.0 | 0.983 | Gemini | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.0 | 0.729 | Gemini | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +4.2 | 0.569 | Gemini | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +2.8 | 0.638 | Gemini | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.4 | 0.991 | Gemini | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -1.6 | 1.292 | Cancer | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.9 | 1.366 | Leo | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.3 | 1.277 | Virgo | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | -0.0 | 1.082 | Virgo | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.2 | 0.842 | Libra | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +4.6 | 0.685 | Virgo | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.5 | 0.994 | Virgo | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.7 | 1.312 | Libra | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.9 | 1.431 | Ophiuchus | 6° 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 May 2000 (magnitude -1.7); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.