Comet 116P/Wild
Comet 116P/Wild is in the constellation of Pisces, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 116P/Wild 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 116P/Wild 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 116P/Wild from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
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 116P/Wild from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 116P/Wild 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 116P/Wild 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 116P/Wild to Earth will happen on Saturday 14 April 2085 at a distance of 0.527412 Astronomical Units, or 78,899,663 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 116P/Wild, 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 116P/Wild at epoch April, 15 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 | January 11, 2016 2,457,399.0261 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | July 13, 2022 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 |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 116P/Wild 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18 2025 | 01h 04m 04s | +05° 48’ 06” | 22.75 | Pisces |
| Jun 19 2025 | 01h 04m 34s | +05° 51’ 17” | 22.75 | Pisces |
| Jun 20 2025 | 01h 05m 03s | +05° 54’ 26” | 22.74 | Pisces |
| Jun 21 2025 | 01h 05m 32s | +05° 57’ 31” | 22.74 | Pisces |
| Jun 22 2025 | 01h 06m 00s | +06° 00’ 32” | 22.73 | Pisces |
| Jun 23 2025 | 01h 06m 28s | +06° 03’ 30” | 22.73 | Pisces |
| Jun 24 2025 | 01h 06m 56s | +06° 06’ 25” | 22.72 | Pisces |
| Jun 25 2025 | 01h 07m 23s | +06° 09’ 15” | 22.72 | Pisces |
| Jun 26 2025 | 01h 07m 49s | +06° 12’ 03” | 22.71 | Pisces |
| Jun 27 2025 | 01h 08m 15s | +06° 14’ 47” | 22.70 | Pisces |
| Jun 28 2025 | 01h 08m 40s | +06° 17’ 27” | 22.70 | Pisces |
| Jun 29 2025 | 01h 09m 04s | +06° 20’ 03” | 22.69 | Pisces |
| Jun 30 2025 | 01h 09m 28s | +06° 22’ 36” | 22.69 | Pisces |
| Jul 01 2025 | 01h 09m 51s | +06° 25’ 06” | 22.68 | Pisces |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 116P/Wild: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 116P/Wild?: Key information on where to find comet 116P/Wild in the sky.
- Distance of comet 116P/Wild 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: Rise and set times of comet 116P/Wild from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 116P/Wild's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 116P/Wild's position using 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.