Planets TonightMercury in 2022: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.1around Jul 15
Closest (in table)0.586 au88 million km
Farthest1.446 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.1
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-01-07 20:03 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.986 | Capricornus | 19.2° |
| 2022-01-23 19:28 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.663 | Capricornus | 3.3° |
| 2022-02-17 06:06 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.976 | Capricornus | 26.3° |
| 2022-04-03 08:10 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.340 | Pisces | 1.0° |
| 2022-04-29 17:09 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.853 | Taurus | 20.6° |
| 2022-05-22 04:17 | Inferior conjunction | +6.9 | 0.551 | Taurus | 1.2° |
| 2022-06-16 23:55 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.824 | Taurus | 23.2° |
| 2022-07-17 04:37 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.333 | Gemini | 1.5° |
| 2022-08-28 01:14 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.928 | Virgo | 27.3° |
| 2022-09-23 15:49 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.651 | Virgo | 2.9° |
| 2022-10-09 06:13 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.965 | Virgo | 18.0° |
| 2022-11-09 01:42 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.440 | Libra | 0.1° |
| 2022-12-22 00:31 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 1.001 | Sagittarius | 20.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.139 | Sagittarius | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +0.6 | 0.786 | Capricornus | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.1 | 0.718 | Sagittarius | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +0.1 | 0.948 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.1 | 1.149 | Capricornus | 24° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.5 | 1.290 | Aquarius | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -2.0 | 1.347 | Cetus | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.2 | 1.187 | Aries | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | +0.5 | 0.813 | Taurus | 20° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +3.8 | 0.586 | Taurus | 10° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +2.8 | 0.595 | Taurus | 15° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +0.6 | 0.796 | Taurus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.8 | 1.125 | Taurus | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -2.1 | 1.326 | Gemini | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.6 | 1.266 | Leo | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | -0.0 | 1.104 | Leo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.4 | 0.862 | Virgo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +1.7 | 0.674 | Virgo | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +1.1 | 0.760 | Virgo | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.9 | 1.132 | Virgo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.1 | 1.400 | Virgo | 5° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.1 | 1.446 | Libra | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.7 | 1.358 | Ophiuchus | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.7 | 1.148 | Sagittarius | 19° 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 2022 (magnitude -2.1); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.