Planets TonightMercury in 2013: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.0around May 15
Closest (in table)0.586 au88 million km
Farthest1.430 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-18 17:56 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.421 | Sagittarius | 2.0° |
| 2013-02-17 06:30 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.941 | Aquarius | 18.1° |
| 2013-03-04 21:58 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.629 | Pisces | 3.7° |
| 2013-04-01 06:50 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.3 | 0.890 | Aquarius | 27.8° |
| 2013-05-12 06:09 | Superior conjunction | -2.5 | 1.323 | Aries | 0.1° |
| 2013-06-13 01:45 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.822 | Gemini | 24.3° |
| 2013-07-10 03:41 | Inferior conjunction | +5.6 | 0.570 | Gemini | 4.8° |
| 2013-07-30 17:48 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.877 | Gemini | 19.6° |
| 2013-08-25 05:56 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.360 | Leo | 1.8° |
| 2013-10-09 19:11 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 1.000 | Libra | 25.3° |
| 2013-11-02 05:19 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.673 | Libra | 0.5° |
| 2013-11-18 11:21 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.999 | Virgo | 19.5° |
| 2013-12-29 15:27 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.441 | Sagittarius | 1.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.7 | 1.401 | Sagittarius | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.2 | 1.430 | Sagittarius | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.2 | 1.299 | Capricornus | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -0.7 | 0.991 | Aquarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | +3.7 | 0.661 | Pisces | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +1.4 | 0.665 | Aquarius | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.3 | 0.893 | Aquarius | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.1 | 1.092 | Pisces | 24° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -1.0 | 1.281 | Pisces | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -2.0 | 1.308 | Taurus | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -0.3 | 1.042 | Gemini | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.7 | 0.780 | Gemini | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +3.1 | 0.586 | Gemini | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +3.9 | 0.605 | Gemini | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.0 | 0.920 | Gemini | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -1.4 | 1.249 | Cancer | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -1.2 | 1.375 | Leo | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.4 | 1.307 | Virgo | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | -0.0 | 1.129 | Virgo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.1 | 0.898 | Libra | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +6.0 | 0.672 | Libra | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.3 | 0.921 | Virgo | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.7 | 1.269 | Libra | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.8 | 1.415 | Ophiuchus | 8° W | 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 May 2013 (magnitude -2.0); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.