The planet Mercury
© NASA/JPL/MESSENGER
Finder chart
Click and drag the chart above to pan around the sky, or use the mouse wheel to zoom.
Click to enlarge.
From Ashburn (click to change), Mercury is not readily observable since it is very close to the Sun, at a separation of only 7° from it.
|
Name
Mercury
|
Object Type
Inferior Planet
|
Current Position
| Constellation: | Virgo |
| Brightness (V): | Mag -0.8 |
| Right Ascension: | 14h07m |
| Declination: | -12°58' |
Source for position: Computed using orbital elements from Robin M. Green, Spherical Astronomy, 1985, ISBN 0-521-31779-7
Orbital Elements
| Semi-major axis: | 0.39 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.205629 |
| Inclination: | 7.01° |
| Longitude ascending node: | 48.35° |
| Argument of perihelion: | 29.08° |
| Epoch of elements: | 14 January 1985 |
| Mean Anomaly at epoch: | 132.23° |
Source: Robin M. Green, Spherical Astronomy, 1985, ISBN 0-521-31779-7
Derived quantities
| Perihelion: | 0.31 AU |
| Aphelion: | 0.47 AU |
| Orbital period: | 0.24 years |