Planets TonightMercury in 2020: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.8around Aug 15
Closest (in table)0.563 au84 million km
Farthest1.447 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-01-11 00:19 | Superior conjunction | -1.4 | 1.430 | Sagittarius | 1.9° |
| 2020-02-10 22:55 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 0.949 | Aquarius | 18.2° |
| 2020-02-26 10:44 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.637 | Aquarius | 3.7° |
| 2020-03-24 11:06 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.3 | 0.906 | Aquarius | 27.8° |
| 2020-05-05 06:41 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.325 | Aries | 0.1° |
| 2020-06-04 22:07 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.823 | Gemini | 23.6° |
| 2020-07-01 11:52 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.562 | Gemini | 4.4° |
| 2020-07-23 00:12 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.866 | Gemini | 20.1° |
| 2020-08-18 00:07 | Superior conjunction | -1.9 | 1.354 | Leo | 1.8° |
| 2020-10-02 01:05 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.0 | 0.991 | Virgo | 25.8° |
| 2020-10-26 03:23 | Inferior conjunction | +6.5 | 0.671 | Virgo | 0.9° |
| 2020-11-11 02:03 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.993 | Virgo | 19.1° |
| 2020-12-20 12:25 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.447 | Sagittarius | 1.5° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.9 | 1.434 | Sagittarius | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.3 | 1.410 | Sagittarius | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -1.0 | 1.189 | Capricornus | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +0.3 | 0.824 | Aquarius | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | +3.7 | 0.631 | Aquarius | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | +0.6 | 0.775 | Aquarius | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.1 | 1.021 | Aquarius | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.5 | 1.201 | Pisces | 19° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -1.8 | 1.326 | Aries | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -1.2 | 1.223 | Taurus | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +0.2 | 0.888 | Gemini | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +1.5 | 0.656 | Gemini | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | +5.7 | 0.563 | Gemini | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +1.4 | 0.709 | Gemini | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -0.8 | 1.099 | Gemini | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -1.8 | 1.337 | Leo | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.7 | 1.339 | Leo | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | -0.2 | 1.220 | Virgo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.0 | 0.999 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +0.7 | 0.759 | Libra | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | +1.2 | 0.750 | Virgo | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.6 | 1.103 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.8 | 1.367 | Libra | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -1.1 | 1.447 | Ophiuchus | 3° 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 August 2020 (magnitude -1.8); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.