Planets TonightMercury in 2010: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.9around Mar 15
Closest (in table)0.561 au84 million km
Farthest1.415 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.1
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-01-05 04:06 | Inferior conjunction | +5.6 | 0.672 | Sagittarius | 2.7° |
| 2010-01-27 14:23 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.0 | 1.003 | Sagittarius | 24.8° |
| 2010-03-14 22:16 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.356 | Aquarius | 1.5° |
| 2010-04-09 08:29 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.878 | Aries | 19.4° |
| 2010-04-29 01:43 | Inferior conjunction | +7.0 | 0.566 | Aries | 1.0° |
| 2010-05-26 11:22 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.819 | Aries | 25.1° |
| 2010-06-28 21:06 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.326 | Gemini | 1.2° |
| 2010-08-07 10:09 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.886 | Sextans | 27.4° |
| 2010-09-03 21:34 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.632 | Sextans | 3.9° |
| 2010-09-20 02:20 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.945 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 2010-10-17 10:04 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.418 | Virgo | 0.9° |
| 2010-12-02 00:41 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.014 | Sagittarius | 21.5° |
| 2010-12-20 10:23 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.677 | Sagittarius | 2.0° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +2.9 | 0.701 | Sagittarius | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +0.5 | 0.777 | Sagittarius | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.1 | 1.084 | Sagittarius | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.3 | 1.261 | Capricornus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.8 | 1.358 | Aquarius | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -1.9 | 1.353 | Aquarius | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -0.8 | 1.082 | Pisces | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | +1.1 | 0.735 | Aries | 17° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +6.0 | 0.561 | Aries | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +1.4 | 0.656 | Cetus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.2 | 0.926 | Aries | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.9 | 1.186 | Taurus | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.9 | 1.326 | Gemini | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -0.6 | 1.210 | Cancer | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.2 | 0.973 | Leo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.7 | 0.771 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +4.6 | 0.625 | Sextans | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | +0.4 | 0.820 | Leo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -1.2 | 1.234 | Virgo | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -1.5 | 1.408 | Virgo | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.7 | 1.415 | Libra | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.5 | 1.300 | Ophiuchus | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.4 | 1.026 | Sagittarius | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +2.0 | 0.718 | 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 March 2010 (magnitude -1.9); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.