Comet 13P/Olbers
Comet 13P/Olbers is in the constellation of
Virgo,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
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 13P/Olbers from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 13P/Olbers is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 13P/Olbers is visible with the help of a binocular with a 60-70mm aperture or a small telescope.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 13P/Olbers is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 13P/Olbers?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 13P/Olbers in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 13P/Olbers from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 13P/Olbers 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 13P/Olbers from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 13P/Olbers to Earth happens on Sun Jan 10 2094 at a distance of 0.756495 Astronomical Units, or 113,170,038 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 13P/Olbers, 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 13P/Olbers at epoch 12 December 2017 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458100.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.93027030 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 44.62814063° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.16028023 AU 173,575,453 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
32.11909016 AU 4,804,947,506 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
16.63968519 AU 2,489,261,479 km |
| Orbital period | period |
67.8775 years 24,792.2581 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2024-Jun-29 03:40:51 2,460,490.6534 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2092-May-15 09:52 2,485,282.9115 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 64.659455379097° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 85.907842806649° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 325.29339072742° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.01452066°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 13P/Olbers in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 13P/Olbers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 27 | 14h 30m 47s | +06° 31’ 37” | 10.61 | Virgo |
| 2024 Sep 28 | 14h 33m 14s | +06° 06’ 54” | 10.66 | Virgo |
| 2024 Sep 29 | 14h 35m 39s | +05° 42’ 29” | 10.71 | Virgo |
| 2024 Sep 30 | 14h 38m 02s | +05° 18’ 21” | 10.76 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 01 | 14h 40m 25s | +04° 54’ 30” | 10.81 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 02 | 14h 42m 46s | +04° 30’ 57” | 10.86 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 03 | 14h 45m 06s | +04° 07’ 41” | 10.91 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 04 | 14h 47m 26s | +03° 44’ 41” | 10.96 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 05 | 14h 49m 44s | +03° 22’ 00” | 11.01 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 06 | 14h 52m 02s | +02° 59’ 35” | 11.06 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 07 | 14h 54m 18s | +02° 37’ 28” | 11.11 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 08 | 14h 56m 33s | +02° 15’ 38” | 11.16 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 14h 58m 47s | +01° 54’ 03” | 11.21 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 15h 01m 00s | +01° 32’ 47” | 11.25 | Virgo |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 13P/Olbers?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 13P/Olbers from Earth?)
- When does Comet 13P/Olbers rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 13P/Olbers?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 13P/Olbers orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 13P/Olbers with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 13P/Olbers for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 13P/Olbers in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 13P/Olbers with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.