Comet 104P/Kowal
Comet 104P/Kowal is currently in the constellation of Ophiucus, at a distance of 647,780,509 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 104P/Kowal from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 104P/Kowal is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom .
- Given its current magnitude, 104P/Kowal is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 104P/Kowal 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 104P/Kowal is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 104P/Kowal?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 104P/Kowal in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 104P/Kowal Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 104P/Kowal from Earth is currently 647,780,509 kilometers, equivalent to 4.330145 Astronomical Units. Light takes 36 minutes and 0.7632 seconds to travel from Comet 104P/Kowal and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 104P/Kowal 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 104P/Kowal from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 104P/Kowal to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 104P/Kowal to Earth happens on Tue Jan 11 2050 at a distance of 0.103653 Astronomical Units, or 15,506,266 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 104P/Kowal Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 104P/Kowal, 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 104P/Kowal Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 104P/Kowal at epoch 25 September 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459483.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.66545590 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 5.70106710° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.07309960 AU 160,533,416 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.34219568 AU 799,181,101 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.20764764 AU 479,857,259 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.7450 years 2,098.3523 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Jan-11 14:48:40 2,459,591.1171 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2027-Oct-10 23:16 2,461,689.4695 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 227.24546096775° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 207.21370218005° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 341.53686215439° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.17156318°/day |
Visualization of Comet 104P/Kowal Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 104P/Kowal with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 104P/Kowal 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 104P/Kowal in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 104P/Kowal 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 104P/Kowal computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 104P/Kowal in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Apr 18 | 16h 42m 12s | -18° 11’ 22” | 26.99 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 19 | 16h 41m 47s | -18° 09’ 38” | 26.99 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 20 | 16h 41m 20s | -18° 07’ 54” | 26.99 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 21 | 16h 40m 51s | -18° 06’ 08” | 26.99 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 22 | 16h 40m 23s | -18° 04’ 22” | 26.98 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 23 | 16h 39m 55s | -18° 02’ 33” | 26.98 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 24 | 16h 39m 24s | -18° 00’ 43” | 26.98 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 25 | 16h 38m 53s | -17° 58’ 54” | 26.98 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 26 | 16h 38m 22s | -17° 57’ 02” | 26.97 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 27 | 16h 37m 50s | -17° 55’ 09” | 26.97 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 28 | 16h 37m 18s | -17° 53’ 17” | 26.97 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 29 | 16h 36m 46s | -17° 51’ 21” | 26.97 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 30 | 16h 36m 11s | -17° 49’ 27” | 26.96 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 May 01 | 16h 35m 38s | -17° 47’ 30” | 26.96 | Ophiucus |