Comet 103P/Hartley
Comet 103P/Hartley is in the constellation of
Virgo,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 103P/Hartley is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 103P/Hartley?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 103P/Hartley in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
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.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 103P/Hartley from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 103P/Hartley is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 103P/Hartley is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 103P/Hartley from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 103P/Hartley 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 103P/Hartley from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 103P/Hartley to Earth happens on Thu Oct 21 2010 at a distance of 0.120883 Astronomical Units, or 18,083,776 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 103P/Hartley, 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.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 103P/Hartley computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 13 | 12h 13m 06s | -08° 54’ 51” | 21.95 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 14 | 12h 12m 49s | -08° 50’ 39” | 21.96 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 15 | 12h 12m 32s | -08° 46’ 31” | 21.97 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 16 | 12h 12m 16s | -08° 42’ 29” | 21.98 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 17 | 12h 12m 02s | -08° 38’ 32” | 21.99 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 18 | 12h 11m 47s | -08° 34’ 41” | 22.00 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 19 | 12h 11m 34s | -08° 30’ 54” | 22.01 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 20 | 12h 11m 22s | -08° 27’ 13” | 22.02 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 21 | 12h 11m 10s | -08° 23’ 38” | 22.03 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 22 | 12h 10m 59s | -08° 20’ 08” | 22.04 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 23 | 12h 10m 49s | -08° 16’ 43” | 22.05 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 24 | 12h 10m 40s | -08° 13’ 24” | 22.06 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 25 | 12h 10m 32s | -08° 10’ 10” | 22.07 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 26 | 12h 10m 25s | -08° 07’ 02” | 22.08 | Virgo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 103P/Hartley: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 103P/Hartley?: Key information on locating Comet 103P/Hartley in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 103P/Hartley is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 103P/Hartley?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 103P/Hartley's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 103P/Hartley's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 103P/Hartley's computed ephemeris.