EVERYLAUNCH // PLANETARY FIX
Mercury is 113 million km away
That’s 0.76 astronomical units, and its light takes 6.3 minutes to reach you. The figure is worked out for right now. Mercury’s distance from Earth keeps changing, so an average would be wrong on almost every day.
COMPUTED 2026-11-11 06:29:30Z · RECOMPUTED EVERY 15 MINUTES
Drag the globe to spin it, or use the view buttons. The shaded side is night, set from the real angle between the Sun, Mercury and Earth. Surface features are drawn at their real coordinates. We don't work out which side faces Earth right now, so the side you see is just where you've turned it.
Right now
- DISTANCE
- 0.76 AU
- 113 million km · 70 million mi
- NEXT CLOSEST
- February 21, 2027
- 95 million km · 59 million mi, computed
- LIGHT TIME
- 6.3 min
- one way
- BRIGHTNESS
- +1.2
- naked eye
- APPARENT SIZE
- 8.9″
- 203× smaller than the Moon
- LIT
- 17%
- of the disc
- FROM THE SUN
- 13°
- angular separation
- IN THE SKY
- morning
- rises before the Sun
- SUN DISTANCE
- 0.31 AU
- its own orbit
What Mercury is like
Almost no air. The surface goes from about 430°C in the day to −180°C at night, the biggest swing of any planet.
- TEMPERATURE
- +167 °CMean, at the surface
- PRESSURE
- —Effectively none. There's a thin exosphere of about 10⁻¹⁵ bar
- WINDS
- noneNo atmosphere to move
- ONE DAY
- 176 Earth daysSunrise to sunrise
- ATMOSPHERE
- A trace exosphere of oxygen, sodium, hydrogen, helium and potassium
PUBLISHED REFERENCE VALUES FROM NASA FACT SHEETS · NOT LIVE READINGS · NO SPACECRAFT REPORTS LIVE WEATHER FROM MERCURY
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Common questions
How far away is Mercury right now?
Mercury is 113 million kilometres (70 million miles) from Earth right now. That's 0.76 astronomical units, or 6 light-minutes. The figure keeps changing as both planets move. This page works it out fresh instead of quoting an average, because an average is wrong on almost every day.
When is Mercury closest to Earth?
Mercury's next closest approach is around February 21, 2027, at about 95 million kilometres (59 million miles). It's worked out to the nearest day from the same orbit model as the live figure on this page.
Can I see Mercury tonight?
Yes, with the naked eye. Mercury is at magnitude +1.2 and 13 degrees from the Sun. It's in the morning sky and rises before the Sun. Look for a point of light that doesn't twinkle.
How long does light take to reach us from Mercury?
6.3 minutes right now. You always see Mercury as it was that long ago. The delay changes as the distance does, and right now there are 113 million kilometres between us.
How hot is Mercury?
+167°C on average, measured at the surface. Effectively none. There's a thin exosphere of about 10⁻¹⁵ bar. That's a published reference value, not a live reading. No spacecraft sends live weather from Mercury right now.
How big does Mercury look from Earth?
8.9 arcseconds across right now. The full Moon is about 1,800 arcseconds, so Mercury looks about 203 times smaller than the Moon. That's why it's just a point of light without a telescope.