Sky science
Inferior Conjunction
Direct answer
Inferior Conjunction occurs when Mercury or Venus passes between Earth and the Sun in heliocentric geometry.
It places an inner planet on the near side of the Sun.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Related
- Greatest Elongation, Astronomical Opposition, Superior Conjunction, Planetary Transit
It places an inner planet on the near side of the Sun.
A scientific orientation to scale, light, or motion; the article supplies the precise definition.
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The story behind Inferior Conjunction
Inferior and superior conjunctions distinguished the geometry of inner planets in heliocentric astronomy.
A one-minute story
The Wandering Stars
How the moving planets were watched, named and found, and what a transit is.
Why Inferior Conjunction matters
Inferior Conjunction resets morning-evening apparitions and can produce a transit when latitude alignment is exact.
Inferior Conjunction in practice: an example
Venus moves from evening visibility toward morning visibility around inferior conjunction.
Where readings of Inferior Conjunction go wrong
Most inferior conjunctions are not transits across the solar disk.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Almanac Glossary - Definitions for astronomical coordinates, time, reference systems, and observable phenomena.
- NASA Science: Solar System Exploration - NASA overview of planets, moons, small bodies, rings, and the structure of the Solar System.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
Follow an inner planet past the Sun
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Common questions
What is an inferior conjunction?
Inferior Conjunction occurs when Mercury or Venus passes between Earth and the Sun in heliocentric geometry.
What do people get wrong about an inferior conjunction?
Most inferior conjunctions are not transits across the solar disk.
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