The planet Mercury
© NASA/JPL/MESSENGER
Finder chart
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From Ashburn , Mercury is not observable – it will reach its highest point in the sky during daytime and is no higher than 7° above the horizon at dawn.
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|
Name
Mercury
|
Object Type
Inferior Planet
|
Current Position
| Constellation: | Leo |
| Magnitude: | -1.30 (V) [1] |
| Absolute mag (H): | -0.65 [1] |
| Slope parameter (n): | 2.00 [1] |
| Right ascension: | 09h28m [1] |
| Declination: | +16°22' [1] |
| Distance: | 1.24 AU 10.28 lightmin [1] |
Orbital Elements [1]
| 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: | 15 January 1985 |
| Mean Anomaly at epoch: | 132.23° |
Derived quantities
| Perihelion: | 0.31 AU |
| Aphelion: | 0.47 AU |
| Orbital period: | 0.24 years |
Source
| [1] | Robin M. Green, Spherical Astronomy, 1985, ISBN 0-521-31779-7 |
Events
| 09 Aug 2019 | – Mercury at greatest elongation west |
| 12 Aug 2019 | – Mercury reaches highest point in morning sky |
| 17 Oct 2019 | – Mercury reaches highest point in evening sky |
| 19 Oct 2019 | – Mercury at greatest elongation east |
| 11 Nov 2019 | – Transit of Mercury |
| 27 Nov 2019 | – Mercury reaches highest point in morning sky |
| 28 Nov 2019 | – Mercury at greatest elongation west |
| 10 Feb 2020 | – Mercury at greatest elongation east |
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