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Solar System Bodies: Mercury
Solar System Bodies: Mercury - Astrology Encyclopedia
Definition of Solar System Bodies: Mercury
A small planet, with pale bluish light; the planet closest to the Sun. Never more than 28 degrees from the Sun, it is rarely visible to the naked eye. The Roman god Mercury and the Greek god Hercules, the winged messenger of the Gods, were endowed with the qualities that are associated with the influence of the planet Mercury. To the Chaldeans it was Nebo, the planet of warning; also associated with Buddha, the wise.
Ancient astrologers considered the existence of a planet nearer to the Sun than Mercury, to which they gave the name Vulcan. It has not as yet been discovered by astronomers.
From a stationary point about 28� in advance of the Sun, it retrogrades to an inferior conjunction with the Sun - after which it becomes a "morning star," visible on the Eastern horizon shortly before Sunrise. From a stationary point about 20� behind the Sun, it advances by direct motion to a superior conjunction with the Sun - after which it becomes an "evening star," visible on the Western horizon shortly after Sunset.
As with the Moon, and all satellites with reference to the planet around which they revolve, Mercury always turns the same face toward the Sun, except for a libration of 23� 7' in both directions: making a 47� zone of temperate conditions, and 132� zones of perpetual heat and cold.
As seen from the Earth, Mercury presents phases, similar to those of the Moon, because of which its visible size varies from 30' to 104' -- its crescent or new moon phase occurs at its inferior conjunction; its full moon phase at its superior conjunction. Its minor elongation, about 18�, occurs 22 days before and after its inferior conjunction; its major elongation, about 28�, 36 days before and after its superior conjunction. At its maximum its visible size is 3� times its diameter. Two of Jupiter's moons are larger than the planet Mercury.
To locate Mercury in the evening sky, find in the ephemeris the dates of its major elongation before or after a superior conjunction, and for 10 and 5 days before and after. Transfer into hours its R.A. and declination on these five dates, and plot its course on a star map, making note its nearness to known bright stars. Tilt this map toward the celestial North pole, and assume a horizon about 23� below the Mercury position. If weather conditions permit it can be seen with the aid of a field glass - sometimes even with the naked eye.
Mercury made a transit across the face of the Sun on May 11, 1937.
(Nicholas deVore - Encyclopedia of Astrology)
The other dictionary entries:
A
Accidental Ascendant ·
Accidental Dignity ·
Acronycal ·
Acronycal place ·
Active Influence ·
Adept ·
Adjusted Calculation Date ·
Line of Advantage ·
Affinity ·
Afflicted ·
Astrological Ages ·
Air Signs ·
Albedo ·
Almanac ·
Almuten ·
Altitude ·
Ambient ·
Anahibazon ·
Anareta, anaretic ·
Anaretic Point. Anaretic Place ·
Androgyne, androgynous ·
Angels ·
Angle ·
Angstrom ·
Angular ·
Angular Velocity ·
Anomaly ·
Anipathies ·
Antipathy ·
Antiscion ·
Antisedentia ·
Aphelion ·
Apheta ·
Aphorism ·
Apogee ·
Apparent Motion ·
Application ·
Appulse ·
Apsis ·
Aquarius ·
Arabian Points, or Parts ·
Arc ·
Arc of Vision ·
Ares ·
Aries ·
Armillary Sphere ·
Ascendant ·
Ascending ·
Ascension ·
Ascension, Signs of Long ·
Ascension, Signs of Short ·
Ascensional Difference ·
Aspect ·
Aspectarian ·
Asterism ·
Asteroids ·
Astral Body ·
Astral Light ·
Astral projection ·
Astrolabe ·
Astrology ·
Astromancy ·
Astrometeorology ·
Astronomical unit ·
Astronomos ·
Astronomy ·
Astrotheology ·
Aten ·
Athazer ·
Aura ·
Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights ·
Inclination of Axis ·
Axial rotation ·
Azimene ·
Azimuth
B
Baal ·
Tower of Babel ·
Babylon ·
Babylonian ·
Barren Signs ·
Beholding Signs ·
Bel ·
Belts of Jupiter ·
Benefic Aspects ·
Besieged ·
Bestial signs ·
Bicorporeal ·
Bi-Quintile ·
Birth Moment ·
Birth Stones ·
Bitter Signs ·
Blend ·
Brahmanaspati ·
Broken Signs ·
Brutish signs ·
Buddha
C
Cabala, Cabalism ·
Cacodemon ·
Cadent ·
Caduceus ·
Calendar ·
Cancer ·
Cappella ·
Capricorn ·
Caput Draconis ·
Cardinal Signs ·
Casting the Horoscope ·
Cataclysmic Planet ·
Catahibazon ·
Cauda Draconis ·
Cazimi ·
Celestial Sphere ·
Ceres ·
Chaldaeans ·
Chaldaean Oracle ·
Changeable Signs ·
Character ·
Character of Planets ·
Characteristics of the Signs ·
Chart ·
Chronocrators ·
Chronos ·
Circle ·
Circles of Position ·
Cities, Sign Rulership ·
Clairaudience ·
Clairsentience ·
Climacterical Conjunction ·
Climacterical Periods ·
Climate ·
Cold planets ·
Cold Signs ·
Collection of light ·
Colors ·
Combust ·
Comets ·
List of Periodic Comets ·
Comet 1925a ·
Collision with Earth ·
Commanding Signs ·
Common Signs ·
Conception ·
Conceptive Signs ·
Configuration ·
Conjunction: Conjoined to ·
Conjunction, Superior and Inferior ·
Constellations ·
Contact ·
Contra antiscions ·
Converse Directions ·
Coordinate ·
Copernican System ·
Corona ·
Correction ·
Co-signficator ·
Cosmecology: the ecology of the cosmic ·
Cosmic ·
Cosmic Conditioning ·
Cosmic Cross ·
Cosmic Philosophy, or Cosmism ·
Cosmic Psychology ·
Cosmical ·
Councillor Gods ·
Countries ·
Crepuscule ·
Crescent ·
Critical Days ·
Critical Degrees ·
Crooked Signs ·
Crucial Degrees ·
Culminating ·
Culmination ·
Culminator ·
Cusp ·
Cycle ·
Cycles ·
Jupiter Cycle ·
Pluto Cycles ·
Neptune Cycle ·
Uranus Cycle ·
Saturn Cycles ·
Cycles - Tabulated data
D
Day ·
Day House ·
Day of Week, to determine ·
Daylight Saving Time ·
Day Triplicity ·
Debility ·
Decade ·
Decanate, Decan ·
Decatom ·
Decile ·
Declination ·
Decreasing or Increasing in Light ·
Decumbiture ·
Deductive Type ·
Deferent ·
Degree ·
Degree Rising ·
Individual Degrees ·
Individual Degree Tables ·
Aries Individual Degrees ·
Taurus Individual Degrees ·
Gemini Individual Degrees ·
Cancer Individual Degrees ·
Leo Individual Degrees ·
Virgo Individual Degrees ·
Libra Individual Degrees ·
Scorpio Individual Degrees ·
Sagittarius Individual Degrees ·
Capricorn Individual Degrees ·
Aquarius Individual Degrees ·
Pisces Individual Degrees ·
Delineation ·
Depression ·
Descendant ·
Descending ·
Destiny ·
Detriment ·
Dexter ·
Dhanus ·
Dichotome, or Dicotome ·
Dignities, Debilities ·
Dignities and Debilities ·
Dionysian Period ·
Directions. Progressions ·
Dispositor ·
Dissociate Signs ·
Distance ·
Diurnal ·
Dog Days ·
Dog Stars ·
Domal Dignity ·
Dominical Letter ·
Doryphory ·
Double-bodied or Bicorporeal Signs ·
Dragon's Head. Dragon's Tail ·
Dumb Signs ·
Duration of Life ·
Dwa-da-shamsa ·
Dysis
E
Eagle ·
Earth Shine ·
Earth Signs ·
East ·
Easter ·
Eccentric ·
Eclipse ·
Eclipse of Thales ·
Ecliptic; Via Solis, the Sun's path ·
Ego ·
Elections ·
Electric planets ·
Elements ·
Elevation ·
Elevation of the Pole ·
Elevation by Latitude ·
Eleveation by House Position ·
Elongation ·
Embolismic Month ·
Emerge ·
Emotional Natures ·
Enneatical ·
Epact ·
Ephemeral Map ·
Ephemeral Motion ·
Ephemeris ·
Epicycle ·
Epoch ·
Signs of Equal Power ·
Equation of Time ·
Equator ·
Equinox ·
Equinoctial Signs ·
Era ·
Eros ·
Erratics ·
Esoteric ·
Essential Dignities ·
Eudemon ·
Exaltation ·
Executive Type ·
Exoteric ·
Externalize ·
Extra-sensory Perceptions
F
Face ·
Fall ·
False Angle; False Arc ·
Familiarity ·
Fate ·
Feminine Signs ·
Feral ·
Figure ·
Fire Signs ·
First point ·
Fixed Signs ·
Fixed Stars ·
Flexed ·
Fortified ·
Fortitude ·
Fortuna ·
Fortunate Signs ·
Fortunes ·
Four-footed Signs ·
Fourth Dimension ·
Free-Will ·
Friendly planets ·
Fruitful Signs ·
Frustration ·
Gabriel ·
Galactic Center ·
Galactic Latitude ·
Galaxy ·
Notes of the Gamut ·
Gemini ·
Gems ·
Genethliacal Astrology ·
Genethlialogy ·
Geniture ·
Geoarc ·
Geoarc Figure ·
Geocentric ·
Astrological Geomancy ·
Gibbous ·
Giver of Life ·
Gnomes ·
Golden Number ·
Arc of Gradial Transit ·
Grand Cross ·
Grand Trine ·
Gregorian Calendar ·
Guarded
H
Hayz ·
Hearing ·
Heart of the Sun ·
Heliacal Rising ·
Heliacal Setting ·
Heliarc ·
Heliarc Figure ·
Heliocentric ·
Heliocentric Astrology ·
Heliocentric Longitude and Latitude ·
Helios ·
Hemisphere ·
Hermaphrodite ·
Hermes ·
Hermetic ·
Herschel ·
Hexagon ·
Hindu Astrology ·
Home, Day or Night ·
Homodromi ·
Honors ·
Horary Astrology ·
Horary Circles ·
Horary Time ·
Horimea ·
Horizon ·
Horizontal Aspects ·
Horizontal Parallel ·
Horoscope ·
Hour Angle ·
Hours ·
Houses ·
Meaning of Houses ·
First House ·
Second House ·
Third House ·
Fourth House ·
Fifth House ·
Sixth House ·
Seventh House ·
Eighth House ·
Ninth House ·
Tenth House ·
Eleventh House ·
Twelfth House ·
Houses, Reciprocal Action of Opposite ·
Solar Houses ·
House Ruler ·
Intercepted House ·
House: Diurnal, or day; Nocturnal, or Night ·
Tables of Houses ·
Human Signs ·
Hyleg ·
Hylegiacal Places ·
Hypogeon
I
Ides ·
Period of Illumination ·
Immersion ·
Impeded; Impedited ·
Imperfect Signs, Broken Signs ·
Imum Coeli ·
Inclination ·
Inconjunct ·
Increasing in Light ·
Increasing in Motion ·
Individual Houses ·
Inferior Planets ·
Infortunes ·
Ingress ·
Initiating Signs ·
Initiative Type ·
Injunct ·
Inspirational Natures ·
Intellectual Natures ·
Interlunar ·
Intercepted ·
Interpolation ·
Interpretation ·
Invariable Plane ·
Inversion ·
Ishtar ·
Isis and Osiris ·
Issat
J
Joined to ·
Joy ·
Julian Calendar ·
Julian Day
K
Kabala ·
Kakatyche ·
Karma ·
Katababazon ·
Kether ·
Key-Cycle ·
Kosmos ·
Krishna ·
Kronos
L
Labha bhava ·
Lagna ·
Lagna Sphutas ·
Latitude ·
Laya Centers ·
Leap Year ·
Leo ·
Life ·
Light ·
Collector of Light ·
Light of time ·
Light Planets ·
Light, Velocity of ·
Light-year ·
Lights ·
Lilith ·
Local Mean Time ·
Logarithms ·
Longitude ·
Lord ·
Lucifer ·
Luminaries ·
Lunar ·
Lunar Declination ·
Lunar Mansions ·
Lunar Month ·
Lunar semicircle ·
Lunar Year ·
Lunation ·
Embolismic Lunation ·
Periodical Lunation ·
Synodical Lunation
M
Magic ·
Magnetism ·
Magnitude ·
Major Planets ·
Malefic ·
Mansions of the Moon ·
Map ·
Marduk, or Asaru ·
Mark, Noon or Midnight ·
Martian ·
Masculine Degrees ·
Masculine planets ·
Masculine Signs ·
Maternal Signs ·
Matutine, Matutinal ·
Maya ·
Mean Motion ·
Mean Time ·
Measure of Time ·
Medical Astrology ·
Medium Coeli ·
Mediumship ·
Medusa's Head ·
Meridian ·
Meridian Distance ·
Meridional ·
Mesmerism ·
Metonic Cycle ·
Metonic Return ·
Micron ·
Midheaven ·
Midpoint ·
Milky Way ·
Minute ·
Moderators ·
Modus Rationalis ·
Moisture ·
Monad ·
Month ·
Month ·
Motion ·
Movable Signs ·
Mundane Aspects ·
Mundane Astrology ·
Mundane Directions, or Directions in Mundo ·
Mundane Parallel, or Parallel in Mundo ·
Music of the Spheres ·
Mutable Signs ·
Mute Signs ·
Mutilated Degrees ·
Mutual Application ·
Mutual Reception
N
Nadir ·
Naibod's Table of Times ·
Natal Astrology ·
Native ·
Nativity ·
Natural Day ·
Nebo ·
Temple of Nebuchadnezzar ·
Nebulae ·
Negative Sign ·
Neomenium ·
Neptune ·
New Year's Day ·
Night Houses ·
Ninib ·
Moon's Nodes ·
Nodes of the Planets ·
Nomes ·
North Point ·
Northern Signs ·
Nova
O
Obeying Signs ·
Oblique Ascendant ·
Oblique Ascension ·
Oblique Descension ·
Oblique Sphere ·
Occidental or Oriental ·
Occultation ·
Occursions ·
Occursor ·
Old Style ·
Opposition ·
Omniverse ·
Orbit ·
Orbital revolution ·
Oriental ·
Orbs ·
Orphic Mysteries ·
Ortive Difference
P
Pantheism ·
Pantheon ·
Parallel ·
Pars fortunae; Part of Fortune ·
Partile ·
Passive ·
Pavanna ·
Penumbral Eclipse ·
Peregrine ·
Perigee ·
Perihelion ·
Periodical Lunation ·
Phase ·
Phases ·
Phenomenon ·
Philosophy ·
Philosopher's Stone ·
Phoenon ·
Pisces ·
Classifications of Planets ·
Planetary Ages of Man ·
Planetary Anatomy ·
Planetary Angels ·
Planetary Colors ·
Planetary Days ·
Planetary Flavors ·
Planetary Forms ·
Planetary Hours ·
Planetary Jewels, or Precious Stones ·
Planetary Metals ·
Planetary Motions ·
Planetary Objects and Substances ·
Planetary Pathology, or physical ailments ·
Planetary Pattern ·
Planetary Periods, or Cycles ·
Planetary Physiology ·
Planetary Physiques ·
Planetary Psychology ·
Planetary Significators ·
Planetary Significators - Horary ·
Planetary Significators - Mundane ·
Planetary Spirits ·
Planetary Vegetation and Herbs ·
Planetary Vocations and Avocations ·
Planetary Years ·
Platic ·
Pluto ·
Point of Life ·
Point of Love ·
Polar Elevation ·
Polarity ·
Pole - of the Ascendant; of the Horoscope ·
Ponderous, or Ponderable planets ·
Posited ·
Positive sign ·
Practical Natures ·
Precession of Equinox and Pole ·
Precession of the Equinoxes ·
Predictions, in Mundane Astrology ·
Predictive Astrology ·
Prenatal Epoch ·
Prescience ·
Primary Directions ·
Prime Vertical ·
Primum Mobile ·
Principal Places ·
Process ·
Profections ·
Prognosis ·
Progressed Horoscope ·
Progressions ·
Progressions vs. Directions ·
Progressive Solar Revolution ·
Prohibition ·
Promittor ·
Proper Motion ·
Prophecy ·
Proportional Arcs ·
Prorogator ·
Psychography ·
Psychometry ·
Psychophobia ·
Ptolemaic Astrology ·
Pyrois
Q
Quadrantine Lunation ·
Quadrants ·
Quadrate, or Quartile ·
Quadratures ·
Quadrupedal ·
Quadruplicity ·
Quartile ·
Querent ·
Quesited ·
Quincunx ·
Quintile
R
Radical ·
Radical Position ·
Radix ·
Radix System ·
Rahu ·
Rapt Motion ·
Rapt Parallel ·
Under the Rays ·
Reception ·
Mutual Reception ·
Recessional Directions ·
Rectification ·
Recurrence Cycles ·
Refranation ·
Relative Houses ·
Retrograde ·
Retrograde Application ·
Revolution ·
Revolutionary Additives ·
Right Ascension ·
Right Distance ·
Right Sphere ·
Rising Sign ·
How to Approximate the Rising Time of a Planet ·
Rotation ·
Royal Stars ·
Ruler ·
Geographical Rulership ·
Ruminant Signs
S
Sagittarius ·
Saros ·
Saturn chasing the Moon ·
Saturnine ·
Saturnalia ·
Satellite ·
Satellitium ·
Scorpio ·
Secondary Progressions ·
Seer ·
Semi-Arc ·
Semi-Quintil ·
Semicircle ·
Semi-sextile ·
Semi-square ·
Significators of the Senses ·
Separating, separation ·
Sesqui-quadrate ·
Sesquiquintile ·
Seven ·
Sexagenary ·
Sextile ·
Sextiles ·
Sidereal Clock ·
Sidereal Day ·
Sidereal Time ·
Sidereal Year ·
Sign ·
Signs and the Disciples ·
The Symbology of Twelve Signs ·
Sign: Aries ·
Sign: Taurus ·
Sign: Gemini ·
Sign: Cancer ·
Sign: Leo ·
Sign: Virgo ·
Sign: Libra ·
Sign: Scorpio ·
Sign: Sagittarius ·
Sign: Capricorn ·
Sign: Aquarius ·
Sign: Pisces ·
Classifications of Signs ·
Sympathetic ·
Significator ·
Sinister ·
Slow of Course ·
Sol ·
Solar Astrology ·
Solar Cycle, or Cycle of the Sun ·
Solar Day ·
Solar Equilibrium ·
Solar Revolution ·
Solar Semicircle ·
Solar System ·
Solar System bodies: Sun ·
Solar System Bodies: Moon ·
Solar System Bodies: Mercury ·
Solar System bodies: Venus ·
Solar System Bodies: Earth ·
Solar System Bodies: Mars ·
Solar System Bodies: Asteroids ·
Solar System Bodies: Jupiter ·
Solar System bodies: Saturn ·
Solar System Bodies: Uranus ·
Solar System bodies: Neptune ·
Solar System bodies: Pluto ·
Solar Time ·
Solar Year ·
SOL-om-on ·
Solomon's Seal ·
Solomon's Temple ·
Solstices ·
South Latitudes ·
Southern Signs ·
Spectroscope ·
Speculum ·
Sphere ·
Sphinx ·
Square ·
Standard Time ·
Star of Bethlehem ·
Stars ·
Stationary ·
Stations ·
Stellium ·
Strength of a planet ·
Succedent Houses ·
Sunspot Cycle ·
Supercycle ·
Superior Planets ·
Synodical Lunation ·
Synthesis ·
Syzygy
T
Tables of Houses ·
T-cross ·
Taurus ·
Telepathy ·
Telescope ·
Temporal Houses ·
The Terminal Houses ·
Terms of the planets ·
Testimony ·
Tetrabiblios ·
Tetractys - ten symbolic dots ·
Tetragon ·
Thema Coeli ·
Throne ·
Time ·
Time. Correction of Mean to Sidereal Time ·
Transit ·
Transit of a planet across the Sun ·
Transitor ·
Translation of Light ·
Transmutation ·
Trigon ·
Trigonocrators ·
Trimorion ·
Trine ·
Trinities ·
Triplicities ·
Tropical Signs ·
Tropical Year ·
True Solar Day ·
Trutine ·
Twilight
U
Umbral Eclipse ·
Under the Sunbeams ·
Unfortunate Signs ·
Urania ·
Uranian ·
Uranian Astrology ·
Uranus
V
Vernal Equinox ·
Vertical ·
Vespertine ·
Via Combusta ·
Vibrations ·
Violent Signs ·
Virgo ·
Visibility ·
Vital Signs ·
Vocal Signs ·
Signs of Voice ·
Void of Course ·
Vulcan
W
War Time ·
Watchers of the Heavens ·
Water-bearer, Waterman ·
Water Signs ·
Wave Length ·
Weak Signs ·
Whole Signs
Y
Year
Z
Zodiac ·
Zodiacal Aspects ·
Zodiacal Directions ·
Zodiacal metals ·
Zodiacal Parallels ·
"Zodiacus Vitae." The Zodiac of Life. ·
Zero Hour Circles ·
Zenith