Mercury (Planet)
© NASA/JPL/MESSENGER
From South El Monte , Mercury is not observable – it will reach its highest point in the sky during daytime and is no higher than 0° above the horizon at dusk.
Name
Mercury
|
Object type
Inferior planet
|
Current position
Computed for: | 03 June 2025 |
Right ascension: | 05h05m [2] |
Declination: | +24°03' [2] |
Constellation: | Taurus |
Magnitude: | -1.83 (V) [1] |
Angular diameter: | 5.2 arcsec[2] |
Distance: | 1.31 AU 10.86 lightmin [2] |
Angular motion (speed): | 2.18 deg/day[2] |
Angular motion (pos ang): | 81.6° |
Orbital elements [2]
Semi-major axis: | 0.39 AU |
Eccentricity: | 0.205636 |
Inclination: | 7.00° |
Longitude ascending node: | 48.33° |
Argument of perihelion: | 29.13° |
Epoch of elements: | 01 January 2000 |
Mean Anomaly at epoch: | 174.79° |
Absolute mag (H): | -0.65 [1] |
Slope parameter (n): | 2.00 [1] |
Derived quantities
Perihelion: | 0.31 AU |
Aphelion: | 0.47 AU |
Orbital period: | 0.24 years |
Sources
[1] | Robin M. Green, Spherical Astronomy, 1985, ISBN 0-521-31779-7 |
[2] | Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac, 2013, Urban & Seidelmann, Eds., Table 8.7, ISBN 978-1-891389-85-6 |
Events
29 May 2025 | – Mercury at superior solar conjunction |
31 May 2025 | – Mercury at perihelion |
27 Jun 2025 | – Mercury at highest altitude in evening sky |
28 Jun 2025 | – Mercury at dichotomy |
03 Jul 2025 | – Mercury at greatest elongation east |
14 Jul 2025 | – Mercury at aphelion |
31 Jul 2025 | – Mercury at inferior solar conjunction |
19 Aug 2025 | – Mercury at greatest elongation west |
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