Planets TonightMercury in 2040: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.4around May 1
Closest (in table)0.586 au88 million km
Farthest1.449 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.0
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2040-01-05 12:22 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.436 | Sagittarius | 1.8° |
| 2040-02-06 11:33 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.955 | Aquarius | 18.3° |
| 2040-02-21 22:13 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.641 | Aquarius | 3.7° |
| 2040-03-19 16:10 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.2 | 0.916 | Aquarius | 27.7° |
| 2040-05-01 00:10 | Superior conjunction | -2.4 | 1.326 | Aries | 0.2° |
| 2040-05-30 21:55 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.5 | 0.825 | Gemini | 23.2° |
| 2040-06-26 01:53 | Inferior conjunction | +5.9 | 0.558 | Orion | 4.2° |
| 2040-07-18 05:11 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.3 | 0.859 | Gemini | 20.5° |
| 2040-08-13 14:53 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.350 | Leo | 1.8° |
| 2040-09-27 06:54 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.2 | 0.984 | Virgo | 26.1° |
| 2040-10-21 19:15 | Inferior conjunction | +6.5 | 0.669 | Virgo | 1.2° |
| 2040-11-06 14:17 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.990 | Virgo | 18.9° |
| 2040-12-14 19:39 | Superior conjunction | -1.3 | 1.450 | Ophiuchus | 1.3° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -1.2 | 1.442 | Sagittarius | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -1.1 | 1.377 | Capricornus | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -0.9 | 1.089 | Aquarius | 17° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | +1.5 | 0.724 | Aquarius | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | +1.6 | 0.667 | Capricornus | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.3 | 0.855 | Capricornus | 27° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -0.0 | 1.095 | Aquarius | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | -0.6 | 1.257 | Cetus | 16° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -2.4 | 1.324 | Aries | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 15 | -0.9 | 1.143 | Taurus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +0.6 | 0.795 | Gemini | 23° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | +2.8 | 0.598 | Gemini | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 1 | +4.0 | 0.586 | Orion | 9° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | +0.7 | 0.799 | Orion | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -1.2 | 1.195 | Gemini | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -1.9 | 1.358 | Leo | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Sep 1 | -0.5 | 1.299 | Virgo | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | -0.0 | 1.154 | Virgo | 24° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +0.2 | 0.914 | Virgo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | +2.0 | 0.693 | Virgo | 13° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | +0.1 | 0.852 | Virgo | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -0.8 | 1.200 | Virgo | 16° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.9 | 1.408 | Libra | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -1.3 | 1.449 | Ophiuchus | 1° E | 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 May 2040 (magnitude -2.4); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.