Planets TonightMercury in 2005: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.0around Jun 1
Closest (in table)0.592 au89 million km
Farthest1.398 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.9
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-02-14 19:49 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.387 | Capricornus | 2.0° |
| 2005-03-13 03:20 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 0.912 | Pisces | 18.3° |
| 2005-03-30 01:10 | Inferior conjunction | +6.0 | 0.600 | Pisces | 3.0° |
| 2005-04-27 01:23 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.844 | Cetus | 27.2° |
| 2005-06-03 18:11 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.7° |
| 2005-07-09 12:19 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.839 | Cancer | 26.3° |
| 2005-08-06 08:35 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.601 | Cancer | 4.9° |
| 2005-08-24 08:18 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.1 | 0.912 | Cancer | 18.4° |
| 2005-09-18 11:37 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.385 | Virgo | 1.5° |
| 2005-11-04 00:51 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 1.018 | Scorpius | 23.5° |
| 2005-11-25 00:42 | Inferior conjunction | +6.6 | 0.678 | Libra | 0.8° |
| 2005-12-12 21:41 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 1.012 | Libra | 21.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.3 | 1.061 | Ophiuchus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.4 | 1.276 | Sagittarius | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.8 | 1.398 | Capricornus | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.6 | 1.383 | Aquarius | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.2 | 1.209 | Pisces | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +0.1 | 0.849 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +5.2 | 0.592 | Pisces | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +1.0 | 0.683 | Pisces | 23° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.3 | 0.912 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.4 | 1.134 | Aries | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -2.0 | 1.319 | Taurus | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -1.1 | 1.228 | Gemini | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +0.1 | 0.968 | Cancer | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.8 | 0.751 | Cancer | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +4.0 | 0.595 | Cancer | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | +1.9 | 0.706 | Cancer | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -1.0 | 1.130 | Leo | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.7 | 1.364 | Leo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.8 | 1.395 | Virgo | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.3 | 1.303 | Libra | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.1 | 1.065 | Scorpius | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.6 | 0.782 | Ophiuchus | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +1.2 | 0.749 | Libra | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.5 | 1.069 | Scorpius | 21° W | Morning 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 June 2005 (magnitude -2.0); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.