Planets TonightMercury in 2008: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.1around Apr 15
Closest (in table)0.571 au85 million km
Farthest1.448 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-2.0
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-01-22 14:25 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.971 | Capricornus | 18.6° |
| 2008-02-07 03:18 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.654 | Aquarius | 3.6° |
| 2008-03-03 20:13 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.949 | Capricornus | 27.1° |
| 2008-04-16 16:24 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.332 | Pisces | 0.6° |
| 2008-05-14 12:51 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.836 | Taurus | 21.8° |
| 2008-06-08 00:26 | Inferior conjunction | +6.3 | 0.550 | Taurus | 2.9° |
| 2008-07-02 02:54 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.839 | Taurus | 21.8° |
| 2008-07-30 05:04 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.341 | Cancer | 1.7° |
| 2008-09-11 13:31 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.958 | Virgo | 26.9° |
| 2008-10-07 05:52 | Inferior conjunction | +6.1 | 0.661 | Virgo | 2.0° |
| 2008-10-22 18:33 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.978 | Virgo | 18.3° |
| 2008-11-26 01:51 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.450 | Scorpius | 0.6° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.9 | 1.371 | Sagittarius | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.8 | 1.149 | Capricornus | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.8 | 0.721 | Capricornus | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +1.4 | 0.690 | Capricornus | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.2 | 0.913 | Capricornus | 27° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.1 | 1.111 | Aquarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -0.7 | 1.288 | Pisces | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -2.1 | 1.336 | Pisces | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | -0.9 | 1.129 | Taurus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +0.5 | 0.816 | Taurus | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +4.0 | 0.571 | Taurus | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +3.5 | 0.583 | Taurus | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +0.4 | 0.826 | Taurus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -0.9 | 1.138 | Gemini | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -1.8 | 1.347 | Cancer | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.6 | 1.288 | Leo | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.0 | 1.101 | Virgo | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.3 | 0.896 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +2.5 | 0.672 | Virgo | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | +0.8 | 0.783 | Virgo | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.9 | 1.215 | Virgo | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.0 | 1.404 | Libra | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -1.1 | 1.448 | Ophiuchus | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.8 | 1.363 | Sagittarius | 11° E | 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 April 2008 (magnitude -2.1); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.