Mercury at Perihelion – November 23, 2025
Time: November 23, 2025, at 16:41 IST
Event: Mercury reaches perihelion—its closest point to the Sun in its 88-day orbit.
Distance from the Sun: Approximately 0.31 AU (about 46 million km).
Orbit: Mercury has a highly elliptical orbit, ranging from 0.307 AU at perihelion to 0.467 AU at aphelion—a variation of over 50%.
Impact: Mercury’s surface receives more than twice the solar energy at perihelion compared to aphelion, causing extreme temperature changes.
Observability: This orbital change affects Mercury’s surface conditions but causes no noticeable difference in its telescopic appearance for amateur observers.
A key orbital milestone highlighting Mercury’s unique, elliptical path around the Sun!
