Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is currently in the constellation of Libra, at a distance of 677,621,454 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-East direction at an altitude of 17° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Position and Finder Charts
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Field of view: 60x40 arcmins
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Also check out Where is Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Earth is currently 677,621,454 kilometers, equivalent to 4.529620 Astronomical Units. Light takes 37 minutes and 40.3019 seconds to travel from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to Earth happens on Fri Nov 12 2021 at a distance of 0.418168 Astronomical Units, or 62,557,001 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at epoch 25 October 2016 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457687.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.64188972 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 7.05257029° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.24057409 AU 185,587,243 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.68787321 AU 850,893,723 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.46422365 AU 518,240,483 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.4479 years 2,355.0889 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2015-Aug-13 09:46:07 2,457,247.9070 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2022-Jan-23 11:54 2,459,602.9960 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 12.839852347612° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 50.047237228805° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 67.196388451589° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15286047°/day |
Visualization of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 10 | 14h 56m 21s | -17° 43’ 58” | 21.81 | Libra |
| 2024 May 11 | 14h 55m 42s | -17° 41’ 25” | 21.82 | Libra |
| 2024 May 12 | 14h 55m 05s | -17° 38’ 51” | 21.82 | Libra |
| 2024 May 13 | 14h 54m 25s | -17° 36’ 18” | 21.82 | Libra |
| 2024 May 14 | 14h 53m 47s | -17° 33’ 43” | 21.82 | Libra |
| 2024 May 15 | 14h 53m 08s | -17° 31’ 10” | 21.83 | Libra |
| 2024 May 16 | 14h 52m 31s | -17° 28’ 37” | 21.83 | Libra |
| 2024 May 17 | 14h 51m 52s | -17° 26’ 04” | 21.83 | Libra |
| 2024 May 18 | 14h 51m 15s | -17° 23’ 31” | 21.83 | Libra |
| 2024 May 19 | 14h 50m 38s | -17° 21’ 00” | 21.84 | Libra |
| 2024 May 20 | 14h 50m 00s | -17° 18’ 29” | 21.84 | Libra |
| 2024 May 21 | 14h 49m 23s | -17° 15’ 57” | 21.84 | Libra |
| 2024 May 22 | 14h 48m 47s | -17° 13’ 27” | 21.85 | Libra |
| 2024 May 23 | 14h 48m 11s | -17° 10’ 58” | 21.85 | Libra |