Comet 14P/Wolf
Comet 14P/Wolf is currently in the constellation of Libra, at a distance of 587,228,761 kilometers from Earth.
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The observed values of Magnitude, Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted Magnitude as a directional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet Observation Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table to report recent comet observations.
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 14P/Wolf from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 14P/Wolf is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Right now it is placed in the South direction at an altitude of 37° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 14P/Wolf is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 14P/Wolf is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 14P/Wolf?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 14P/Wolf in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 14P/Wolf Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 14P/Wolf from Earth is currently 587,228,761 kilometers, equivalent to 3.925382 Astronomical Units. Light takes 32 minutes and 38.7843 seconds to travel from Comet 14P/Wolf and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 14P/Wolf from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of 14P/Wolf from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 14P/Wolf to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 14P/Wolf to Earth happens on Wed Oct 3 2068 at a distance of 1.627895 Astronomical Units, or 243,529,555 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 14P/Wolf Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 14P/Wolf, according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Comet 14P/Wolf Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 14P/Wolf at epoch 14 November 2011 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455880.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.35745330 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 27.94263969° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.72880051 AU 408,222,747 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.76490273 AU 862,417,175 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.24685162 AU 635,319,961 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.7520 years 3,196.6792 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2009-Feb-27 14:34:13 2,454,890.1071 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2017-Nov-29 06:52 2,458,086.7863 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 159.19640689593° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 202.10797799766° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 111.53494605587° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.11261687°/day |
Visualization of Comet 14P/Wolf Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 14P/Wolf with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 14P/Wolf and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
View Comet 14P/Wolf in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 14P/Wolf 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 14P/Wolf computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 14P/Wolf in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 10 | 15h 06m 24s | -01° 48’ 44” | 21.78 | Libra |
| 2024 May 11 | 15h 05m 51s | -01° 43’ 45” | 21.78 | Libra |
| 2024 May 12 | 15h 05m 17s | -01° 38’ 52” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 13 | 15h 04m 42s | -01° 34’ 01” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 14 | 15h 04m 09s | -01° 29’ 15” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 15 | 15h 03m 34s | -01° 24’ 33” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 16 | 15h 03m 02s | -01° 19’ 57” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 17 | 15h 02m 27s | -01° 15’ 24” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 18 | 15h 01m 54s | -01° 10’ 57” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 19 | 15h 01m 21s | -01° 06’ 33” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 20 | 15h 00m 47s | -01° 02’ 17” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 21 | 15h 00m 15s | -00° 58’ 04” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 22 | 14h 59m 43s | -00° 53’ 57” | 21.77 | Libra |
| 2024 May 23 | 14h 59m 11s | -00° 49’ 54” | 21.77 | Libra |