Comet 14P/Wolf
Comet 14P/Wolf is in the constellation of
Ophiuchus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 14P/Wolf is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 14P/Wolf?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 14P/Wolf 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 14P/Wolf from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 14P/Wolf is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 14P/Wolf is visible only through long exposure photography.
- 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.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 14P/Wolf from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 14P/Wolf 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 14P/Wolf 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 14P/Wolf to Earth happens on Tue Sep 19 2000 at a distance of 1.523343 Astronomical Units, or 227,888,832 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 14P/Wolf, 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 14P/Wolf at epoch 22 June 2012 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456101.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.35708646 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 27.94035079° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.73129326 AU 408,595,657 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.76531817 AU 862,479,324 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.24830572 AU 635,537,491 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.7565 years 3,198.3211 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2009-Feb-27 08:04:32 2,454,889.8365 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2017-Nov-30 15:46 2,458,088.1576 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 159.23106315173° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 202.11380340676° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 136.38369718889° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.11255905°/day |
View Comet 14P/Wolf in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 14P/Wolf 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 14 | 17h 53m 47s | +10° 47’ 22” | 20.49 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 17h 53m 08s | +10° 50’ 58” | 20.49 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 17h 52m 28s | +10° 54’ 24” | 20.49 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 17h 51m 48s | +10° 57’ 38” | 20.48 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 17h 51m 08s | +11° 00’ 41” | 20.48 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 17h 50m 28s | +11° 03’ 32” | 20.47 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 20 | 17h 49m 48s | +11° 06’ 13” | 20.47 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 21 | 17h 49m 08s | +11° 08’ 42” | 20.47 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 22 | 17h 48m 27s | +11° 10’ 59” | 20.46 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 23 | 17h 47m 47s | +11° 13’ 04” | 20.46 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 24 | 17h 47m 07s | +11° 14’ 58” | 20.46 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 25 | 17h 46m 26s | +11° 16’ 40” | 20.45 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 26 | 17h 45m 46s | +11° 18’ 10” | 20.45 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 27 | 17h 45m 06s | +11° 19’ 28” | 20.45 | Ophiuchus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 14P/Wolf: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 14P/Wolf?: Key information on where to find Comet 14P/Wolf in the sky.
- Distance of Comet 14P/Wolf from Earth: Find out how far Comet 14P/Wolf is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 14P/Wolf?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of Comet 14P/Wolf from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 14P/Wolf's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of Comet 14P/Wolf's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 14P/Wolf's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about Comet 14P/Wolf orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 14P/Wolf with respect to the major Solar System objects.