Planets TonightMercury in 2003: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Jul 1
Closest (in table)0.573 au86 million km
Farthest1.439 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-01-12 05:02 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.669 | Sagittarius | 2.9° |
| 2003-02-04 10:03 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.0 | 0.995 | Sagittarius | 25.3° |
| 2003-03-22 08:34 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.349 | Pisces | 1.4° |
| 2003-04-16 23:39 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.869 | Aries | 19.8° |
| 2003-05-07 16:20 | Inferior conjunction | +7.3 | 0.559 | Aries | 0.2° |
| 2003-06-03 14:41 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.819 | Aries | 24.4° |
| 2003-07-05 19:20 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.328 | Gemini | 1.3° |
| 2003-08-15 05:57 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.901 | Leo | 27.4° |
| 2003-09-11 10:56 | Inferior conjunction | +5.6 | 0.640 | Leo | 3.5° |
| 2003-09-27 08:43 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.953 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 2003-10-25 18:57 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.427 | Virgo | 0.6° |
| 2003-12-09 15:11 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.010 | Sagittarius | 20.9° |
| 2003-12-27 10:11 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.675 | Sagittarius | 2.3° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.0 | 0.846 | Sagittarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +3.1 | 0.676 | Sagittarius | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.0 | 0.944 | Sagittarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.1 | 1.159 | Capricornus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.4 | 1.302 | Capricornus | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -1.2 | 1.364 | Aquarius | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -1.5 | 1.235 | Pisces | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -0.1 | 0.906 | Aries | 20° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +3.9 | 0.601 | Aries | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +3.4 | 0.573 | Aries | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +0.7 | 0.782 | Aries | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.3 | 1.046 | Taurus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.8 | 1.305 | Gemini | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -1.1 | 1.295 | Cancer | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.0 | 1.097 | Leo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.4 | 0.898 | Leo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.6 | 0.672 | Leo | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +3.7 | 0.678 | Leo | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.8 | 1.068 | Leo | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.3 | 1.345 | Virgo | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.0 | 1.439 | Libra | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.6 | 1.382 | Scorpius | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 1.178 | Sagittarius | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.1 | 0.868 | Sagittarius | 19° 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 2003 (magnitude -1.8); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.