Comet 10P/Tempel (also known as Comet Tempel 2) is a periodic comet that orbits the Sun once every 5.4 years. It has an eccentric orbit that takes it from a perihelion distance of 1.4 astronomical units (AU) to an aphelion distance of 4.7 AU. It was first discovered by Wilhelm Tempel in France on July 4, 1873.
Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet 10P/Tempel in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet 10P/Tempel
Comet 10P/Tempel is in the constellation of Leo, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 10P/Tempel in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet 10P/Tempel against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial 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
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet 10P/Tempel from Zuidlaren, Netherlands (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/Amsterdam):
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
The distance of comet 10P/Tempel from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 10P/Tempel from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 10P/Tempel from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet 10P/Tempel to Earth will happen on Tuesday 4 August 2026 at a distance of 0.414485 Astronomical Units, or 62,006,142 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet 10P/Tempel, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet 10P/Tempel at epoch May, 12 2013 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456425.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.53640358 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 12.02725131° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.42083031 AU 212,553,190 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.70876967 AU 704,421,918 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.06479999 AU 458,487,554 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.3655 years 1,959.7543 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | November 15, 2015 2,457,341.5811 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | March 27, 2021 2,459,301.3354 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 195.54140401041° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 117.80297999279° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 191.7191212244° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18369649°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 10P/Tempel relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet 10P/Tempel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 09 2025 | 11h 24m 18s | +14° 18’ 34” | 19.85 | Leo |
| Jul 10 2025 | 11h 25m 06s | +14° 12’ 00” | 19.85 | Leo |
| Jul 11 2025 | 11h 25m 55s | +14° 05’ 23” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 12 2025 | 11h 26m 45s | +13° 58’ 43” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 13 2025 | 11h 27m 35s | +13° 52’ 00” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 14 2025 | 11h 28m 26s | +13° 45’ 15” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 15 2025 | 11h 29m 17s | +13° 38’ 26” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 16 2025 | 11h 30m 09s | +13° 31’ 35” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 17 2025 | 11h 31m 01s | +13° 24’ 41” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 18 2025 | 11h 31m 54s | +13° 17’ 45” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 19 2025 | 11h 32m 48s | +13° 10’ 45” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 20 2025 | 11h 33m 42s | +13° 03’ 44” | 19.86 | Leo |
| Jul 21 2025 | 11h 34m 36s | +12° 56’ 40” | 19.87 | Leo |
| Jul 22 2025 | 11h 35m 31s | +12° 49’ 34” | 19.87 | Leo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 10P/Tempel: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 10P/Tempel?: Key information on where to find comet 10P/Tempel in the sky.
- Distance of comet 10P/Tempel from Earth: Find out how far comet 10P/Tempel is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 10P/Tempel?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 10P/Tempel from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 10P/Tempel's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 10P/Tempel's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 10P/Tempel's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet 10P/Tempel orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet 10P/Tempel with respect to the major Solar System objects.