Planets TonightMercury in 2011: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.0around Jun 15
Closest (in table)0.581 au87 million km
Farthest1.406 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.9
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-01-09 23:25 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.2 | 1.014 | Ophiuchus | 23.3° |
| 2011-02-25 17:47 | Superior conjunction | -1.7 | 1.374 | Aquarius | 1.9° |
| 2011-03-23 10:09 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 0.900 | Pisces | 18.6° |
| 2011-04-10 04:36 | Inferior conjunction | +6.3 | 0.587 | Pisces | 2.4° |
| 2011-05-08 04:05 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.831 | Pisces | 26.6° |
| 2011-06-13 08:44 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.323 | Taurus | 0.9° |
| 2011-07-20 14:01 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.854 | Leo | 26.8° |
| 2011-08-17 10:03 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.613 | Leo | 4.6° |
| 2011-09-03 14:55 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.2 | 0.925 | Leo | 18.1° |
| 2011-09-29 05:15 | Superior conjunction | -1.7 | 1.396 | Virgo | 1.4° |
| 2011-11-14 17:40 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.2 | 1.019 | Scorpius | 22.7° |
| 2011-12-04 17:52 | Inferior conjunction | +6.2 | 0.678 | Ophiuchus | 1.3° |
| 2011-12-23 12:08 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.3 | 1.015 | Ophiuchus | 21.8° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +0.1 | 0.839 | Ophiuchus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.2 | 1.114 | Sagittarius | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.4 | 1.322 | Sagittarius | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.9 | 1.392 | Capricornus | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.7 | 1.348 | Aquarius | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -1.0 | 1.112 | Pisces | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +2.0 | 0.688 | Pisces | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +4.1 | 0.581 | Pisces | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +0.8 | 0.732 | Pisces | 25° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | +0.2 | 0.950 | Pisces | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -1.0 | 1.228 | Taurus | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -2.0 | 1.320 | Taurus | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | -0.4 | 1.151 | Cancer | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.3 | 0.931 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +1.1 | 0.692 | Leo | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +4.9 | 0.607 | Leo | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | +0.1 | 0.868 | Leo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.3 | 1.228 | Leo | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -1.5 | 1.406 | Virgo | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.6 | 1.395 | Virgo | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.3 | 1.243 | Libra | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.2 | 1.003 | Ophiuchus | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +3.3 | 0.693 | Ophiuchus | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | +0.1 | 0.833 | Scorpius | 19° 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 2011 (magnitude -2.0); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.