Comet 126P/IRAS
Comet 126P/IRAS is in the constellation of
Ursa Major,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 126P/IRAS is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 126P/IRAS?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 126P/IRAS 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 126P/IRAS from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 126P/IRAS is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the West direction at an altitude of 65.80° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 126P/IRAS is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 126P/IRAS from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 126P/IRAS 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 126P/IRAS 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 126P/IRAS to Earth happens on Sun Sep 21 2036 at a distance of 0.789938 Astronomical Units, or 118,172,990 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 126P/IRAS, 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 126P/IRAS at epoch 26 May 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459361.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.69627539 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 45.86937072° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.71300788 AU 256,262,332 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
9.56699938 AU 1,431,202,739 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.64000363 AU 843,732,535 km |
| Orbital period | period |
13.3945 years 4,892.3498 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2023-Jul-05 08:31:56 2,460,130.8555 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2036-Nov-25 16:55 2,465,023.2053 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 356.52368326532° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 357.86222638312° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 303.38753461122° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.07358427°/day |
View Comet 126P/IRAS in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 126P/IRAS 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 30 | 09h 32m 49s | +46° 49’ 13” | 24.04 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 May 31 | 09h 33m 19s | +46° 41’ 16” | 24.05 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 09h 33m 49s | +46° 33’ 20” | 24.06 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 09h 34m 20s | +46° 25’ 25” | 24.07 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 09h 34m 51s | +46° 17’ 32” | 24.08 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 09h 35m 23s | +46° 09’ 41” | 24.09 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 09h 35m 56s | +46° 01’ 50” | 24.10 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 09h 36m 27s | +45° 54’ 01” | 24.11 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 09h 37m 01s | +45° 46’ 15” | 24.12 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 09h 37m 34s | +45° 38’ 29” | 24.13 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 09h 38m 08s | +45° 30’ 45” | 24.14 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 09h 38m 43s | +45° 23’ 03” | 24.14 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 09h 39m 18s | +45° 15’ 23” | 24.15 | Ursa Major |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 09h 39m 52s | +45° 07’ 43” | 24.16 | Ursa Major |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 126P/IRAS: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 126P/IRAS?: Key information on locating Comet 126P/IRAS in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 126P/IRAS is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 126P/IRAS?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 126P/IRAS's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 126P/IRAS's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 126P/IRAS's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 126P/IRAS orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 126P/IRAS with respect to the major Solar System objects.