Planets TonightMercury in 2002: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.7around Jul 15
Closest (in table)0.559 au84 million km
Farthest1.446 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-01-12 08:44 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.6 | 0.981 | Capricornus | 19.0° |
| 2002-01-28 03:54 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.661 | Capricornus | 3.4° |
| 2002-02-22 01:07 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.968 | Capricornus | 26.6° |
| 2002-04-07 17:54 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.337 | Pisces | 0.9° |
| 2002-05-04 12:41 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.847 | Taurus | 21.0° |
| 2002-05-27 16:09 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.549 | Taurus | 1.8° |
| 2002-06-21 23:29 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.828 | Taurus | 22.7° |
| 2002-07-21 10:47 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.335 | Cancer | 1.6° |
| 2002-09-01 19:23 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.938 | Virgo | 27.2° |
| 2002-09-28 03:31 | Inferior conjunction | +5.9 | 0.654 | Virgo | 2.6° |
| 2002-10-13 16:34 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.969 | Virgo | 18.1° |
| 2002-11-14 13:39 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.444 | Libra | 0.1° |
| 2002-12-26 14:38 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.997 | Sagittarius | 19.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.228 | Sagittarius | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.3 | 0.896 | Capricornus | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +2.7 | 0.667 | Capricornus | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +0.2 | 0.862 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.0 | 1.077 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.3 | 1.241 | Aquarius | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -1.3 | 1.346 | Pisces | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.6 | 1.263 | Aries | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | -0.0 | 0.917 | Taurus | 21° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +2.2 | 0.643 | Taurus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +4.7 | 0.559 | Taurus | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +1.2 | 0.711 | Taurus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.3 | 1.029 | Taurus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.7 | 1.290 | Gemini | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.9 | 1.310 | Leo | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.1 | 1.173 | Leo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.3 | 0.942 | Virgo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.9 | 0.734 | Virgo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +3.9 | 0.684 | Virgo | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.7 | 1.020 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.1 | 1.357 | Virgo | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.4 | 1.446 | Libra | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.7 | 1.401 | Ophiuchus | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.7 | 1.233 | Sagittarius | 17° 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 2002 (magnitude -1.7); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.