HTML Entity for Mercury (☿)
What You'll Learn
How to display the Mercury symbol (☿) in HTML using hexadecimal, decimal, and CSS escape methods. This character is U+263F (MERCURY) in the Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF)—the traditional glyph for the planet Mercury in astronomy, astrology, and alchemy.
Render it with ☿, ☿, or CSS escape \263F. There is no named HTML entity. Do not confuse ☿ with the micro sign µ (U+00B5) or the chemical element mercury (Hg)—each serves a different purpose.
⚡ Quick Reference — Mercury
U+263FMiscellaneous Symbols
☿Hexadecimal reference
☿Decimal reference
—Use numeric codes only
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+263F
Hex code ☿
HTML code ☿
Named entity (none)
CSS code \263F
Meaning Planet Mercury symbol
Related U+2640 = Venus (♀); U+2642 = Mars (♂)
U+00B5 = micro sign (µ)Complete HTML Example
This example demonstrates the Mercury symbol (☿) using hexadecimal code, decimal HTML code, and a CSS content escape:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point::after{
content: "\263F";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Mercury using Hexadecimal: ☿</p>
<p>Mercury using HTML Code: ☿</p>
<p id="point">Mercury using CSS Entity: </p>
<p>Planets: ♀ Venus ☿ Mercury ♂ Mars</p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
The Mercury symbol is widely supported in modern browsers:
👀 Live Preview
See the Mercury symbol (☿) in astronomy and astrology contexts:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
☿ uses the Unicode hexadecimal value 263F to display the Mercury symbol. The x prefix indicates hexadecimal format.
Decimal HTML Code
☿ uses the decimal Unicode value 9791 to display the same character.
CSS Entity
\263F is used in CSS stylesheets, particularly in the content property of pseudo-elements like ::before and ::after for planet icons and labels.
Same visual result
All three methods produce: ☿. Unicode U+263F sits in the Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF). No named HTML entity—use numeric codes in markup.
Use Cases
The Mercury symbol (☿) is commonly used in:
Horoscope charts, zodiac tables, and birth-chart layouts.
Planet guides, solar-system diagrams, and educational science pages.
Historical texts and symbolism referencing quicksilver/mercury.
School and university content on planets and classical symbols.
Magazines, blogs, and reference works on celestial bodies.
HTML entity tutorials and Unicode symbol documentation.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
☿or☿consistently per project - Pair with accessible text (e.g. “Mercury”) for screen readers
- Distinguish ☿ from µ (micro sign) and chemical Hg notation
- Serve pages with UTF-8 (
<meta charset="utf-8">) - Test glyph rendering across browsers and font stacks
Don’t
- Confuse ☿ with the micro sign µ (U+00B5)
- Use the planet symbol alone where chemical mercury (Hg) is meant
- Put CSS escape
\263Fin HTML text nodes - Use HTML entities in JS (use
\u263F) - Use padded Unicode notation like U+0263F—the correct value is
U+263F
Key Takeaways
Two HTML references both render ☿
☿ ☿For CSS stylesheets, use the escape in the content property
\263FUnicode U+263F — MERCURY in Miscellaneous Symbols
No named HTML entity—use numeric codes or UTF-8 literal ☿
Not the same as micro sign µ (U+00B5)
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
☿ (hex), ☿ (decimal), or \263F in CSS content. All produce ☿. There is no named HTML entity for U+263F.U+263F (MERCURY). Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF). Hex 263F, decimal 9791. Used for the planet Mercury in astronomy and astrology.☿ or ☿) go directly in markup. The CSS escape \263F is used in stylesheets, typically in the content property of pseudo-elements. Same visual result, different layers of the stack.Explore More HTML Entities!
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