Comet 116P/Wild
Comet 116P/Wild is in the constellation of
Pisces,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 116P/Wild is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 116P/Wild?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 116P/Wild 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 116P/Wild from Egilsstaðir, Iceland (all times relative to the local timezone Atlantic/Reykjavik):
- 116P/Wild is below the horizon from Egilsstaðir, Iceland.
- Given its current magnitude, 116P/Wild is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 116P/Wild from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 116P/Wild 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 116P/Wild 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 116P/Wild to Earth happens on Sat Apr 14 2085 at a distance of 0.527412 Astronomical Units, or 78,899,663 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 116P/Wild, 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.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 116P/Wild at epoch 15 April 2016 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457494.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.37227703 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 3.60784374° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.18708578 AU 327,183,376 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.78122950 AU 715,261,754 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.48415764 AU 521,222,565 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.5036 years 2,375.4458 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2016-Jan-11 12:37:31 2,457,399.0261 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2022-Jul-13 23:19 2,459,774.4718 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 173.31072730318° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 20.991856003706° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 14.469123049665° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15155050°/day |
View Comet 116P/Wild in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 116P/Wild 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 28 | 00h 51m 47s | +04° 29’ 19” | 22.85 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 29 | 00h 52m 26s | +04° 33’ 33” | 22.84 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 30 | 00h 53m 05s | +04° 37’ 43” | 22.84 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 31 | 00h 53m 43s | +04° 41’ 51” | 22.84 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 00h 54m 21s | +04° 45’ 57” | 22.83 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 00h 54m 59s | +04° 49’ 59” | 22.83 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 00h 55m 36s | +04° 53’ 59” | 22.82 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 00h 56m 13s | +04° 57’ 56” | 22.82 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 00h 56m 49s | +05° 01’ 50” | 22.82 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 00h 57m 25s | +05° 05’ 41” | 22.81 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 00h 58m 01s | +05° 09’ 30” | 22.81 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 00h 58m 36s | +05° 13’ 15” | 22.80 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 00h 59m 11s | +05° 16’ 58” | 22.80 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 00h 59m 45s | +05° 20’ 38” | 22.79 | Pisces |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 116P/Wild: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 116P/Wild?: Key information on locating Comet 116P/Wild in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 116P/Wild is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 116P/Wild?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 116P/Wild's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 116P/Wild's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 116P/Wild's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 116P/Wild orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 116P/Wild with respect to the major Solar System objects.