Planets TonightMercury in 2018: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.7around Jun 1
Closest (in table)0.600 au90 million km
Farthest1.405 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.5
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-02 04:58 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.2 | 1.016 | Ophiuchus | 22.7° |
| 2018-02-17 21:27 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.383 | Aquarius | 2.0° |
| 2018-03-16 00:09 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.2 | 0.909 | Pisces | 18.4° |
| 2018-04-02 02:52 | Inferior conjunction | +6.1 | 0.597 | Pisces | 2.8° |
| 2018-04-30 03:23 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.4 | 0.840 | Cetus | 27.0° |
| 2018-06-06 11:01 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.7° |
| 2018-07-12 14:29 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.842 | Cancer | 26.4° |
| 2018-08-09 11:05 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.604 | Cancer | 4.8° |
| 2018-08-27 05:34 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.1 | 0.916 | Cancer | 18.3° |
| 2018-09-21 10:52 | Superior conjunction | -1.7 | 1.387 | Virgo | 1.5° |
| 2018-11-07 00:31 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.2 | 1.018 | Scorpius | 23.3° |
| 2018-11-27 18:14 | Inferior conjunction | +6.5 | 0.678 | Scorpius | 0.9° |
| 2018-12-15 20:29 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.3 | 1.013 | Libra | 21.3° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.2 | 1.001 | Ophiuchus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.4 | 1.236 | Sagittarius | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.7 | 1.383 | Capricornus | 11° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.5 | 1.394 | Capricornus | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -1.3 | 1.260 | Aquarius | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -0.3 | 0.923 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | +5.9 | 0.600 | Pisces | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +1.5 | 0.645 | Pisces | 20° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.4 | 0.861 | Pisces | 27° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.3 | 1.085 | Pisces | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -1.7 | 1.306 | Taurus | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -1.3 | 1.265 | Gemini | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | -0.1 | 1.021 | Cancer | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +0.6 | 0.799 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +2.8 | 0.610 | Leo | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | +3.0 | 0.661 | Cancer | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.7 | 1.060 | Leo | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -1.5 | 1.337 | Leo | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.9 | 1.405 | Virgo | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.4 | 1.334 | Virgo | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -0.2 | 1.119 | Scorpius | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +0.2 | 0.841 | Ophiuchus | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | +2.8 | 0.705 | Libra | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.3 | 1.005 | Libra | 21° 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 2018 (magnitude -1.7); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.