Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu
Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu is in the constellation of
Taurus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu 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 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu from Calgary, Canada (all times relative to the local timezone America/Edmonton):
- 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu is below the horizon from Calgary, Canada.
- Given its current magnitude, 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu 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 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu 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 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu to Earth happens on Sun Jul 3 2022 at a distance of 2.030864 Astronomical Units, or 303,812,912 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 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu, 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 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu at epoch 11 June 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458281.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.25505040 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 8.70178786° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.04777985 AU 455,941,377 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.13473304 AU 768,145,131 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.09125644 AU 612,043,254 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.2755 years 3,022.6195 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Jul-06 13:03:34 2,459,767.0441 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2030-Oct-15 03:55 2,462,789.6636 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 222.50173054801° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 58.876826327174° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 183.06873505028° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.11910199°/day |
View Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu 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 Jun 02 | 04h 27m 24s | +22° 52’ 30” | 19.71 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 04h 28m 23s | +22° 55’ 17” | 19.72 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 04h 29m 23s | +22° 58’ 02” | 19.72 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 04h 30m 22s | +23° 00’ 47” | 19.72 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 04h 31m 21s | +23° 03’ 30” | 19.72 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 04h 32m 20s | +23° 06’ 12” | 19.72 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 04h 33m 20s | +23° 08’ 52” | 19.72 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 04h 34m 19s | +23° 11’ 31” | 19.72 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 04h 35m 18s | +23° 14’ 09” | 19.73 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 04h 36m 17s | +23° 16’ 46” | 19.73 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 04h 37m 16s | +23° 19’ 21” | 19.73 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 04h 38m 15s | +23° 21’ 54” | 19.73 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 04h 39m 14s | +23° 24’ 27” | 19.73 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 04h 40m 14s | +23° 26’ 58” | 19.73 | Taurus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu?: Key information on locating Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 117P/Helin-Roman-Alu with respect to the major Solar System objects.