The planet Mercury
© NASA/JPL/MESSENGER
Finder chart
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From Fairfield , Mercury is not readily observable since it is very close to the Sun, at a separation of only 7° from it.
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|
Name
Mercury
|
Object Type
Inferior Planet
|
Current Position
| Constellation: | Capricornus |
| Magnitude: | -1.12 (V) [1] |
| Absolute mag (H): | -0.65 [1] |
| Slope parameter (n): | 2.00 [1] |
| Right ascension: | 20h53m [2] |
| Declination: | -19°34' [2] |
| Distance: | 1.34 AU 11.14 lightmin [2] |
Orbital Elements [2]
| Semi-major axis: | 0.39 AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0.205631 |
| Inclination: | 7.00° |
| Longitude ascending node: | 48.33° |
| Argument of perihelion: | 29.12° |
| Epoch of elements: | 01 January 2000 |
| Mean Anomaly at epoch: | 174.79° |
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. 1992. K. P. Seidelmann, Ed., p.316 |
Events
| 30 Dec 2019 | – Mercury at aphelion |
| 10 Jan 2020 | – Mercury at superior solar conjunction |
| 10 Feb 2020 | – Mercury at greatest elongation east |
| 10 Feb 2020 | – Mercury at dichotomy |
| 11 Feb 2020 | – Mercury reaches highest point in evening sky |
| 12 Feb 2020 | – Mercury at perihelion |
| 25 Feb 2020 | – Mercury at inferior solar conjunction |
| 18 Mar 2020 | – Mercury reaches highest point in morning sky |
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