Planets TonightMercury in 2012: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Jun 1
Closest (in table)0.613 au92 million km
Farthest1.414 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-2.0
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-02-07 18:02 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.397 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 2012-03-05 18:34 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 0.921 | Pisces | 18.2° |
| 2012-03-22 04:20 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.609 | Pisces | 3.3° |
| 2012-04-19 02:22 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.856 | Pisces | 27.5° |
| 2012-05-27 20:19 | Superior conjunction | -2.5 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.5° |
| 2012-07-01 10:57 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.831 | Cancer | 25.7° |
| 2012-07-29 04:57 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.592 | Cancer | 5.0° |
| 2012-08-16 21:03 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.0 | 0.902 | Cancer | 18.7° |
| 2012-09-10 21:43 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.377 | Leo | 1.6° |
| 2012-10-27 07:11 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 1.014 | Libra | 24.1° |
| 2012-11-18 00:46 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.677 | Libra | 0.4° |
| 2012-12-05 07:48 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 1.009 | Libra | 20.6° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.4 | 1.184 | Ophiuchus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.5 | 1.351 | Sagittarius | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.1 | 1.414 | Capricornus | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.4 | 1.335 | Aquarius | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -0.8 | 1.040 | Pisces | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +2.3 | 0.687 | Pisces | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +1.9 | 0.632 | Pisces | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.6 | 0.803 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.0 | 1.044 | Pisces | 24° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.9 | 1.243 | Aries | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -1.8 | 1.301 | Taurus | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -0.4 | 1.105 | Gemini | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.5 | 0.830 | Cancer | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +1.7 | 0.642 | Cancer | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +4.5 | 0.613 | Cancer | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | +0.2 | 0.867 | Cancer | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.5 | 1.275 | Leo | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -1.4 | 1.393 | Virgo | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.4 | 1.345 | Virgo | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.2 | 1.203 | Libra | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.0 | 0.913 | Scorpius | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +4.0 | 0.682 | Libra | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.2 | 0.916 | Libra | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.215 | Scorpius | 18° 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 2012 (magnitude -1.8); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.