The upper chart shows the path of Mercury across the background stars over the course of the year. Stars to magnitude +4.5 are shown with some fainter objects included to complete constellation patterns. The white circles represent the planet on the first day of the month and are scaled according to apparent magnitude. The faint paths before the first circle and after the last circle represent the planet's positions in December of last year and January of next. In general, the planet moves from right to left except when it's in retrograde and proceding in the opposite direction. As an inferior planet, Mercury never strays far from the Sun so it always begins and ends the year near the constellation of Sagittarius, located about one quarter of the way in from the left side of the chart.
The lower charts show how the appearance of Mercury changes over the year. Below each image is listed the date, the apparent magnitude, the apparent diameter of the disk (in arc-seconds), the geocentric distance (in au), the elongation from the Sun (in degrees) and the percentage of the disk which is illuminated. Like the Moon, Mercury exhibits a complete range of phases, from new to crescent to gibbous to full and back again. Because its synodic period is around four months, Mercury completes this phase cycle three times each year. Note how Mercury's magnitude varies widely, ranging (approximately) from −2.0 to +6.0 between conjunctions.
Mercury appears in the east before sunrise at the beginning of 2024. It will be a morning sky object three more times this year, alternating with appearances in the west after sunset. Northern temperate observers get their best views of this elusive planet in March and April (evening sky) and August through September (morning sky). The southern hemisphere is treated the sight of Mercury high in east from mid-April to mid-June, with the best evening apparition occuring immediately afterwards, from mid-June to mid-August. Mercury is occulted by the Moon once this year, in March, but is only 10° away from the Sun at the time.
All times and dates are in UT. Positions are geocentric apparent places, referred to the true equator and equinox of date.
January | |
---|---|
9 | 6.9° north of the Moon |
10 | Ophiuchus → Sagittarius |
12 | greatest elongation west: 23.5° |
23 | descending node |
27 | planetary conjunction: 0.2° south of Mars |
February | |
2 | aphelion: 0.468 au |
5 | Sagittarius → Capricornus |
8 | 3.2° north of the Moon |
21 | Capricornus → Aquarius |
28 | superior conjunction |
planetary conjunction: 0.2° north of Saturn | |
March | |
7 | Aquarius → Pisces |
8 | planetary conjunction: 0.4° south of Neptune |
11 | lunar occultation: 0.1° north of the Moon (daytime event) |
13 | ascending node |
17 | perihelion: 0.308 au |
24 | greatest elongation east: 18.7° |
April | |
1 | stationary in right ascension: direct → retrograde |
stationary in ecliptic longitude: direct → retrograde | |
9 | 2.2° north of the Moon |
11 | inferior conjunction |
19 | planetary conjunction: 1.7° south of Venus |
20 | descending node |
24 | stationary in right ascension: retrograde → direct |
25 | stationary in ecliptic longitude: retrograde → direct |
30 | aphelion: 0.468 au |
May | |
7 | 3.8° south of the Moon |
9 | greatest elongation west: 26.4° |
18 | Pisces → Cetus |
19 | Cetus → Aries |
30 | Aries → Taurus |
31 | planetary conjunction: 1.3° north of Uranus |
June | |
4 | planetary conjunction: 0.1° north of Jupiter |
5 | 4.7° south of the Moon |
9 | ascending node |
13 | perihelion: 0.307 au |
14 | superior conjunction |
17 | planetary conjunction: 0.9° south of Venus |
Taurus → Gemini | |
20 | maximum declination north: +24.92° |
July | |
1 | Gemini → Cancer |
6 | 0.1° south of open cluster M44 (Praesepe) |
7 | 3.2° south of the Moon |
14 | Cancer → Leo |
17 | descending node |
22 | greatest elongation east: 26.9° |
25 | 1.7° south of the first-magnitude star α Leo (Regulus) |
27 | aphelion: 0.468 au |
August | |
4 | stationary in right ascension: direct → retrograde |
5 | stationary in ecliptic longitude: direct → retrograde |
6 | 7.5° south of the Moon |
Leo → Sextans | |
8 | planetary conjunction: 5.7° north of Venus |
11 | Sextans → Leo |
19 | inferior conjunction |
28 | stationary in right ascension: retrograde → direct |
stationary in ecliptic longitude: retrograde → direct | |
September | |
1 | 5.0° south of the Moon |
4 | ascending node |
5 | greatest elongation west: 18.1° |
9 | 0.4° north of the first-magnitude star α Leo (Regulus) |
perihelion: 0.307 au | |
22 | Leo → Virgo |
30 | superior conjunction |
October | |
3 | 1.8° north of the Moon |
13 | descending node |
19 | Virgo → Libra |
23 | aphelion: 0.467 au |
November | |
2 | Libra → Scorpius |
3 | 2.1° north of the Moon |
9 | Scorpius → Ophiuchus |
10 | 2.0° north of the first-magnitude star α Sco (Antares) |
12 | Ophiuchus → Scorpius |
14 | Scorpius → Ophiuchus |
16 | greatest elongation east: 22.5° |
19 | maximum declination south: −25.49° |
26 | stationary in ecliptic longitude: direct → retrograde |
stationary in right ascension: direct → retrograde | |
December | |
1 | ascending node |
2 | 4.9° north of the Moon |
6 | inferior conjunction |
perihelion: 0.307 au | |
12 | Ophiuchus → Scorpius |
15 | stationary in right ascension: retrograde → direct |
stationary in ecliptic longitude: retrograde → direct | |
19 | Scorpius → Ophiuchus |
25 | greatest elongation west: 22.0° |
29 | 6.4° north of the Moon |