Planets TonightMercury in 2016: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.6around Jul 1
Closest (in table)0.561 au84 million km
Farthest1.440 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-01-14 23:04 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.668 | Sagittarius | 3.0° |
| 2016-02-07 10:23 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.0 | 0.991 | Sagittarius | 25.6° |
| 2016-03-24 05:10 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.347 | Pisces | 1.3° |
| 2016-04-18 22:59 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.865 | Aries | 19.9° |
| 2016-05-10 00:12 | Inferior conjunction | +7.3 | 0.557 | Aries | 0.1° |
| 2016-06-05 17:45 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.819 | Aries | 24.2° |
| 2016-07-07 12:23 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.329 | Gemini | 1.4° |
| 2016-08-17 06:21 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.907 | Leo | 27.4° |
| 2016-09-13 08:40 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.642 | Leo | 3.4° |
| 2016-09-29 04:27 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.956 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 2016-10-28 01:16 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.430 | Virgo | 0.5° |
| 2016-12-11 13:38 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.008 | Sagittarius | 20.8° |
| 2016-12-29 03:47 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.675 | Sagittarius | 2.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.3 | 0.918 | Sagittarius | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +5.3 | 0.667 | Sagittarius | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.1 | 0.888 | Sagittarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.1 | 1.114 | Capricornus | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.4 | 1.281 | Capricornus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -1.1 | 1.358 | Aquarius | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -1.5 | 1.264 | Pisces | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -0.3 | 0.952 | Aries | 19° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +2.9 | 0.623 | Aries | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +4.3 | 0.561 | Aries | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +0.8 | 0.747 | Aries | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.2 | 1.008 | Taurus | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.6 | 1.288 | Gemini | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -1.3 | 1.311 | Cancer | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.1 | 1.128 | Leo | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.3 | 0.933 | Leo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +1.3 | 0.696 | Virgo | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +4.8 | 0.658 | Leo | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.6 | 1.021 | Leo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.2 | 1.322 | Virgo | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.2 | 1.440 | Libra | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.6 | 1.398 | Scorpius | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 1.213 | Sagittarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.2 | 0.913 | Sagittarius | 20° 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 July 2016 (magnitude -1.6); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.