Planets TonightMercury in 2048: brightness, position and events
Brightest-1.7around Jul 15
Closest (in table)0.558 au83 million km
Farthest1.446 au
Events this year13
Brightest last year-1.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2048-01-13 13:57 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.6 | 0.981 | Capricornus | 19.0° |
| 2048-01-29 08:49 | Inferior conjunction | +5.3 | 0.660 | Capricornus | 3.4° |
| 2048-02-23 06:50 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.1 | 0.967 | Capricornus | 26.6° |
| 2048-04-07 22:55 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.337 | Pisces | 0.9° |
| 2048-05-04 18:31 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.847 | Taurus | 21.0° |
| 2048-05-27 23:15 | Inferior conjunction | +6.7 | 0.549 | Taurus | 1.8° |
| 2048-06-22 05:34 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | +0.5 | 0.829 | Taurus | 22.7° |
| 2048-07-21 15:34 | Superior conjunction | -2.2 | 1.335 | Cancer | 1.6° |
| 2048-09-02 01:05 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | +0.3 | 0.939 | Virgo | 27.2° |
| 2048-09-28 08:40 | Inferior conjunction | +5.9 | 0.654 | Virgo | 2.6° |
| 2048-10-13 21:38 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -0.5 | 0.970 | Virgo | 18.1° |
| 2048-11-14 20:42 | Superior conjunction | -1.5 | 1.445 | Libra | 0.2° |
| 2048-12-26 19:57 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -0.5 | 0.997 | Sagittarius | 19.8° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -0.8 | 1.250 | Sagittarius | 15° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -0.4 | 0.929 | Capricornus | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | +3.5 | 0.660 | Capricornus | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | +0.3 | 0.840 | Capricornus | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +0.0 | 1.073 | Capricornus | 26° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | -0.3 | 1.238 | Aquarius | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | -1.3 | 1.345 | Pisces | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -1.6 | 1.266 | Aries | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| May 1 | -0.0 | 0.922 | Taurus | 21° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | +2.1 | 0.646 | Taurus | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | +4.8 | 0.558 | Taurus | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jun 15 | +1.2 | 0.707 | Taurus | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -0.3 | 1.025 | Taurus | 20° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.7 | 1.287 | Gemini | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 1 | -0.9 | 1.312 | Leo | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Aug 15 | -0.1 | 1.176 | Leo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | +0.3 | 0.947 | Virgo | 27° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | +0.8 | 0.738 | Virgo | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | +4.0 | 0.682 | Virgo | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Oct 15 | -0.7 | 1.014 | Virgo | 18° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.1 | 1.355 | Virgo | 8° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -1.4 | 1.446 | Libra | 0° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -0.7 | 1.402 | Ophiuchus | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -0.7 | 1.237 | Sagittarius | 16° 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 2048 (magnitude -1.7); 13 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.