Planets TonightMercury in 2019: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.7around Sep 1
Closest (in table)0.583 au87 million km
Farthest1.407 au
Events this year12
Brightest last year-1.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-01-30 11:51 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.407 | Capricornus | 2.1° |
| 2019-02-27 10:25 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.3 | 0.930 | Pisces | 18.1° |
| 2019-03-15 10:47 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.618 | Pisces | 3.5° |
| 2019-04-12 04:41 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.3 | 0.870 | Aquarius | 27.7° |
| 2019-05-21 22:06 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.322 | Taurus | 0.3° |
| 2019-06-24 08:15 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.825 | Gemini | 25.2° |
| 2019-07-21 21:33 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.582 | Cancer | 5.0° |
| 2019-08-10 08:08 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.0 | 0.892 | Cancer | 19.0° |
| 2019-09-04 10:40 | Superior conjunction | -1.8 | 1.369 | Leo | 1.7° |
| 2019-10-20 13:01 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.1 | 1.010 | Libra | 24.6° |
| 2019-11-12 00:21 | Inferior conjunction | +6.8 | 0.676 | Libra | 0.0° |
| 2019-11-28 19:29 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 1.005 | Libra | 20.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.5 | 1.297 | Ophiuchus | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | -0.7 | 1.407 | Sagittarius | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.5 | 1.397 | Capricornus | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -1.2 | 1.228 | Aquarius | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -0.0 | 0.872 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | +5.7 | 0.618 | Pisces | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | +0.8 | 0.719 | Aquarius | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.3 | 0.918 | Pisces | 28° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -0.4 | 1.151 | Pisces | 20° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -1.5 | 1.305 | Aries | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | -1.1 | 1.229 | Taurus | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | -0.0 | 0.981 | Gemini | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +0.9 | 0.716 | Cancer | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | +3.6 | 0.583 | Cancer | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | +1.7 | 0.697 | Gemini | 15° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -0.6 | 1.027 | Cancer | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -1.7 | 1.348 | Leo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.9 | 1.381 | Virgo | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -0.3 | 1.276 | Virgo | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -0.1 | 1.095 | Libra | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +0.6 | 0.782 | Libra | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | +3.0 | 0.703 | Libra | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 1.069 | Libra | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.6 | 1.314 | Ophiuchus | 14° 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 September 2019 (magnitude -1.7); 12 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.