Planets TonightMercury in 2004: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.9around Jun 15
Closest (in table)0.589 au88 million km
Farthest1.423 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-01-17 18:21 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.2 | 1.011 | Sagittarius | 23.9° |
| 2004-03-04 10:42 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.366 | Aquarius | 1.7° |
| 2004-03-29 21:27 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 0.891 | Pisces | 18.9° |
| 2004-04-17 10:04 | Inferior conjunction | +6.6 | 0.578 | Pisces | 1.9° |
| 2004-05-15 05:35 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.824 | Pisces | 26.0° |
| 2004-06-19 06:24 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.324 | Taurus | 1.0° |
| 2004-07-27 12:29 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.867 | Leo | 27.1° |
| 2004-08-24 05:50 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.622 | Leo | 4.3° |
| 2004-09-09 23:00 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.2 | 0.934 | Leo | 18.0° |
| 2004-10-06 03:29 | Superior conjunction | -1.7 | 1.405 | Virgo | 1.2° |
| 2004-11-21 10:16 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.2 | 1.018 | Ophiuchus | 22.2° |
| 2004-12-10 17:21 | Inferior conjunction | +6.1 | 0.678 | Ophiuchus | 1.6° |
| 2004-12-30 05:06 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.3 | 1.016 | Ophiuchus | 22.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.9 | 0.706 | Sagittarius | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.1 | 0.968 | Sagittarius | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.3 | 1.233 | Sagittarius | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.6 | 1.353 | Capricornus | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.5 | 1.378 | Aquarius | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -1.4 | 1.241 | Pisces | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +0.3 | 0.824 | Aries | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +5.8 | 0.589 | Pisces | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +1.6 | 0.635 | Pisces | 20° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +0.5 | 0.828 | Pisces | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -0.5 | 1.124 | Aries | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -1.9 | 1.310 | Taurus | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | -0.9 | 1.245 | Gemini | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +0.0 | 1.048 | Cancer | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.7 | 0.795 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +2.3 | 0.635 | Sextans | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.8 | 0.725 | Leo | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.8 | 1.087 | Leo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -1.5 | 1.373 | Virgo | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.9 | 1.423 | Virgo | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.4 | 1.328 | Libra | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.3 | 1.134 | Scorpius | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +0.4 | 0.793 | Sagittarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +2.1 | 0.713 | Ophiuchus | 11° 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 June 2004 (magnitude -1.9); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.