Planets TonightMercury in 2014: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around May 1
Closest (in table)0.560 au84 million km
Farthest1.438 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-2.0
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-31 18:57 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.960 | Aquarius | 18.4° |
| 2014-02-16 05:21 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.646 | Capricornus | 3.7° |
| 2014-03-14 15:29 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.928 | Capricornus | 27.6° |
| 2014-04-26 12:27 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.328 | Aries | 0.4° |
| 2014-05-25 16:10 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.828 | Taurus | 22.7° |
| 2014-06-20 07:50 | Inferior conjunction | +6.0 | 0.554 | Orion | 3.8° |
| 2014-07-13 03:22 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.852 | Orion | 20.9° |
| 2014-08-09 01:21 | Superior conjunction | -2.1 | 1.347 | Cancer | 1.7° |
| 2014-09-22 07:09 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.975 | Virgo | 26.4° |
| 2014-10-17 05:39 | Inferior conjunction | +6.3 | 0.666 | Virgo | 1.5° |
| 2014-11-01 21:38 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.986 | Virgo | 18.7° |
| 2014-12-08 18:51 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.451 | Ophiuchus | 1.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.2 | 1.433 | Sagittarius | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.0 | 1.312 | Capricornus | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -0.5 | 0.941 | Aquarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | +5.2 | 0.650 | Capricornus | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +0.7 | 0.732 | Aquarius | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.2 | 0.940 | Capricornus | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -0.2 | 1.167 | Aquarius | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -1.0 | 1.302 | Pisces | 12° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | -1.8 | 1.293 | Aries | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -0.5 | 1.044 | Taurus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +1.2 | 0.706 | Gemini | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +4.8 | 0.560 | Orion | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +2.3 | 0.640 | Taurus | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.1 | 0.905 | Orion | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -1.6 | 1.274 | Cancer | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -1.3 | 1.355 | Leo | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.3 | 1.246 | Virgo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.1 | 1.077 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.4 | 0.823 | Virgo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +5.0 | 0.663 | Virgo | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.5 | 0.975 | Virgo | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.9 | 1.283 | Libra | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -1.1 | 1.437 | Scorpius | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -1.0 | 1.438 | Sagittarius | 4° 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 May 2014 (magnitude -1.8); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.