Planets TonightMercury in 2042: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.9around Jul 15
Closest (in table)0.557 au83 million km
Farthest1.433 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-2.2
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2042-01-03 07:04 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.990 | Capricornus | 19.5° |
| 2042-01-19 11:31 | Inferior conjunction | +5.4 | 0.666 | Sagittarius | 3.2° |
| 2042-02-12 11:07 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.0 | 0.984 | Sagittarius | 25.9° |
| 2042-03-29 21:42 | Superior conjunction | -2.0 | 1.343 | Cetus | 1.2° |
| 2042-04-24 22:25 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.1 | 0.859 | Aries | 20.3° |
| 2042-05-16 17:03 | Inferior conjunction | +7.1 | 0.553 | Taurus | 0.7° |
| 2042-06-11 23:54 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.821 | Taurus | 23.7° |
| 2042-07-12 22:43 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.331 | Gemini | 1.5° |
| 2042-08-23 06:52 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.918 | Virgo | 27.4° |
| 2042-09-19 03:23 | Inferior conjunction | +5.8 | 0.647 | Virgo | 3.1° |
| 2042-10-04 19:53 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.4 | 0.961 | Leo | 17.9° |
| 2042-11-03 15:44 | Superior conjunction | -1.6 | 1.435 | Libra | 0.3° |
| 2042-12-17 10:05 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.4 | 1.005 | Sagittarius | 20.4° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.5 | 1.036 | Capricornus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | +2.6 | 0.703 | Capricornus | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | +0.4 | 0.795 | Sagittarius | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | -0.0 | 1.032 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | -0.2 | 1.214 | Capricornus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.7 | 1.329 | Aquarius | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -1.9 | 1.326 | Pisces | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -0.9 | 1.091 | Aries | 17° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | +1.1 | 0.718 | Taurus | 18° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +6.7 | 0.557 | Taurus | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 1 | +1.5 | 0.653 | Aries | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | +0.2 | 0.888 | Taurus | 23° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.1 | 1.209 | Taurus | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jul 15 | -1.9 | 1.334 | Gemini | 3° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.4 | 1.210 | Leo | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | +0.1 | 1.030 | Leo | 26° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.6 | 0.783 | Virgo | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +3.9 | 0.642 | Virgo | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 1 | +0.1 | 0.867 | Leo | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -1.1 | 1.228 | Virgo | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 1 | -1.5 | 1.427 | Virgo | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -0.8 | 1.433 | Libra | 7° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.6 | 1.302 | Ophiuchus | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.5 | 1.050 | Sagittarius | 20° 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 2042 (magnitude -1.9); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.