Planets TonightMercury in 2009: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.1around Apr 1
Closest (in table)0.564 au84 million km
Farthest1.439 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.1
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-01-04 22:58 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.988 | Capricornus | 19.3° |
| 2009-01-21 00:59 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.665 | Capricornus | 3.2° |
| 2009-02-14 05:42 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.980 | Sagittarius | 26.1° |
| 2009-03-31 12:29 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.342 | Pisces | 1.1° |
| 2009-04-26 16:48 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.856 | Taurus | 20.4° |
| 2009-05-18 19:01 | Inferior conjunction | +7.0 | 0.552 | Taurus | 0.9° |
| 2009-06-13 20:52 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.823 | Taurus | 23.5° |
| 2009-07-14 11:15 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.332 | Gemini | 1.5° |
| 2009-08-25 01:14 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.922 | Virgo | 27.4° |
| 2009-09-20 19:04 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.648 | Virgo | 3.0° |
| 2009-10-06 10:30 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.963 | Virgo | 17.9° |
| 2009-11-05 17:02 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.438 | Libra | 0.2° |
| 2009-12-19 02:38 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 1.003 | Sagittarius | 20.3° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.6 | 1.075 | Capricornus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +1.7 | 0.728 | Capricornus | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.6 | 0.764 | Sagittarius | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.1 | 1.000 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.2 | 1.190 | Capricornus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.7 | 1.315 | Aquarius | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -2.1 | 1.336 | Pisces | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.0 | 1.128 | Aries | 15° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +0.9 | 0.751 | Taurus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +5.4 | 0.564 | Taurus | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +1.9 | 0.629 | Taurus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.3 | 0.854 | Taurus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.0 | 1.180 | Taurus | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -2.1 | 1.334 | Gemini | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.5 | 1.233 | Leo | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.1 | 1.059 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.5 | 0.812 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +2.9 | 0.650 | Virgo | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | +0.3 | 0.826 | Leo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.0 | 1.196 | Virgo | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.3 | 1.419 | Virgo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.9 | 1.439 | Libra | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.6 | 1.324 | Ophiuchus | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.087 | Sagittarius | 20° 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 April 2009 (magnitude -2.1); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.