Planets TonightMercury in 2023: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.3around Jul 1
Closest (in table)0.567 au85 million km
Farthest1.428 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.1
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-07 21:56 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.671 | Sagittarius | 2.8° |
| 2023-01-30 14:53 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.0 | 1.000 | Sagittarius | 25.0° |
| 2023-03-17 19:44 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.353 | Pisces | 1.5° |
| 2023-04-12 07:10 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.875 | Aries | 19.5° |
| 2023-05-02 08:27 | Inferior conjunction | +7.1 | 0.564 | Aries | 0.7° |
| 2023-05-29 14:33 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.6 | 0.819 | Aries | 24.9° |
| 2023-07-01 14:05 | Superior conjunction | -2.3 | 1.327 | Gemini | 1.3° |
| 2023-08-10 10:46 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.4 | 0.891 | Leo | 27.4° |
| 2023-09-06 20:09 | Inferior conjunction | +5.5 | 0.635 | Leo | 3.8° |
| 2023-09-22 22:16 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.948 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 2023-10-20 14:38 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.421 | Virgo | 0.8° |
| 2023-12-04 23:28 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.013 | Sagittarius | 21.3° |
| 2023-12-23 03:54 | Inferior conjunction | +5.7 | 0.676 | Sagittarius | 2.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.3 | 0.747 | Sagittarius | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | +1.1 | 0.727 | Sagittarius | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | -0.0 | 1.032 | Sagittarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.2 | 1.225 | Capricornus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.6 | 1.340 | Capricornus | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -1.7 | 1.363 | Aquarius | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -1.1 | 1.148 | Pisces | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | +0.6 | 0.798 | Aries | 19° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +6.7 | 0.567 | Aries | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | +2.1 | 0.618 | Aries | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.4 | 0.870 | Aries | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.7 | 1.135 | Taurus | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -2.3 | 1.327 | Gemini | 1° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -0.7 | 1.247 | Cancer | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | +0.1 | 1.022 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.5 | 0.819 | Leo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +3.0 | 0.633 | Leo | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 15 | +1.2 | 0.755 | Leo | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | -1.1 | 1.175 | Leo | 14° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -1.4 | 1.389 | Virgo | 4° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -0.8 | 1.428 | Libra | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.5 | 1.335 | Scorpius | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.5 | 1.088 | Sagittarius | 21° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | +0.7 | 0.768 | Sagittarius | 15° 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 2023 (magnitude -2.3); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.