Planets TonightMercury in 2015: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Apr 15
Closest (in table)0.550 au82 million km
Farthest1.439 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-01-15 05:30 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.978 | Capricornus | 18.9° |
| 2015-01-30 22:45 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.659 | Aquarius | 3.5° |
| 2015-02-25 01:22 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.963 | Capricornus | 26.7° |
| 2015-04-10 13:00 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.335 | Pisces | 0.8° |
| 2015-05-07 13:49 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.844 | Taurus | 21.2° |
| 2015-05-31 01:55 | Inferior conjunction | +6.6 | 0.549 | Taurus | 2.1° |
| 2015-06-25 02:07 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.831 | Taurus | 22.5° |
| 2015-07-24 04:23 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.337 | Cancer | 1.6° |
| 2015-09-04 19:19 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.943 | Virgo | 27.1° |
| 2015-09-30 23:38 | Inferior conjunction | +6.0 | 0.656 | Virgo | 2.5° |
| 2015-10-16 12:16 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.972 | Virgo | 18.1° |
| 2015-11-17 23:52 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.446 | Libra | 0.2° |
| 2015-12-29 12:11 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.995 | Sagittarius | 19.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.277 | Sagittarius | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.5 | 0.971 | Capricornus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +4.7 | 0.655 | Capricornus | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +0.3 | 0.809 | Capricornus | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.0 | 1.030 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.2 | 1.206 | Aquarius | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -1.1 | 1.335 | Pisces | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.8 | 1.298 | Aries | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | -0.3 | 0.985 | Taurus | 20° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +1.4 | 0.689 | Taurus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +6.1 | 0.550 | Taurus | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +1.6 | 0.664 | Taurus | 19° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.1 | 0.966 | Taurus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.4 | 1.252 | Gemini | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -1.2 | 1.329 | Cancer | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.3 | 1.211 | Leo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.2 | 0.992 | Virgo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.6 | 0.780 | Virgo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +5.9 | 0.659 | Virgo | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.4 | 0.943 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.0 | 1.321 | Virgo | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.4 | 1.439 | Libra | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.8 | 1.421 | Ophiuchus | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.7 | 1.279 | Sagittarius | 15° E | Evening 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 April 2015 (magnitude -1.8); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.