Planets TonightMercury in 2006: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.9around Sep 1
Closest (in table)0.574 au86 million km
Farthest1.420 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-2.0
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-01-27 06:33 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.411 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 2006-02-24 14:03 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 0.933 | Pisces | 18.1° |
| 2006-03-12 11:43 | Inferior conjunction | +5.6 | 0.621 | Pisces | 3.6° |
| 2006-04-09 03:38 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.3 | 0.875 | Aquarius | 27.8° |
| 2006-05-19 05:02 | Superior conjunction | -2.5 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.3° |
| 2006-06-21 05:10 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.824 | Gemini | 24.9° |
| 2006-07-18 16:07 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.579 | Gemini | 4.9° |
| 2006-08-07 09:32 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.888 | Gemini | 19.2° |
| 2006-09-01 13:49 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.367 | Leo | 1.7° |
| 2006-10-17 13:08 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.0 | 1.008 | Libra | 24.8° |
| 2006-11-09 06:30 | Inferior conjunction | +7.0 | 0.675 | Libra | 0.1° |
| 2006-11-25 21:56 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 1.003 | Libra | 19.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.5 | 1.332 | Ophiuchus | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.8 | 1.420 | Sagittarius | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.4 | 1.378 | Capricornus | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.1 | 1.170 | Aquarius | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +0.4 | 0.800 | Pisces | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +4.5 | 0.612 | Pisces | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +0.6 | 0.765 | Aquarius | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.2 | 0.968 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.5 | 1.193 | Pisces | 18° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -1.8 | 1.320 | Aries | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -0.9 | 1.183 | Taurus | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.2 | 0.924 | Gemini | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +1.3 | 0.672 | Cancer | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +4.9 | 0.574 | Gemini | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | +1.1 | 0.752 | Gemini | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -0.8 | 1.098 | Cancer | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.9 | 1.366 | Leo | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.7 | 1.367 | Virgo | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.2 | 1.240 | Virgo | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.0 | 1.043 | Libra | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.2 | 0.733 | Libra | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +1.3 | 0.749 | Libra | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.6 | 1.132 | Libra | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.7 | 1.349 | Ophiuchus | 13° 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 September 2006 (magnitude -1.9); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.