Comet 14P/Wolf
Comet 14P/Wolf is in the constellation of
Libra,
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 14P/Wolf from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 14P/Wolf is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the West direction at an altitude of 5.34° above the horizon.
- 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.
Finder Charts
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.
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 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 14P/Wolf to Earth happens on Wed Oct 3 2068 at a distance of 1.627895 Astronomical Units, or 243,529,555 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 14 November 2011 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455880.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.35745330 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 27.94263969° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.72880051 AU 408,222,747 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.76490273 AU 862,417,175 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.24685162 AU 635,319,961 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.7520 years 3,196.6792 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2009-Feb-27 14:34:13 2,454,890.1071 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2017-Nov-29 06:52 2,458,086.7863 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 159.19640689593° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 202.10797799766° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 111.53494605587° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.11261687°/day |
Orbit Visualization
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 06 | 15h 03m 44s | -01° 53’ 13” | 22.18 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 07 | 15h 04m 22s | -01° 56’ 32” | 22.19 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 08 | 15h 05m 00s | -01° 59’ 50” | 22.19 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 09 | 15h 05m 39s | -02° 03’ 10” | 22.19 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 10 | 15h 06m 19s | -02° 06’ 29” | 22.20 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 11 | 15h 06m 59s | -02° 09’ 49” | 22.20 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 12 | 15h 07m 40s | -02° 13’ 10” | 22.20 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 13 | 15h 08m 21s | -02° 16’ 31” | 22.20 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 14 | 15h 09m 02s | -02° 19’ 51” | 22.21 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 15 | 15h 09m 45s | -02° 23’ 12” | 22.21 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 16 | 15h 10m 27s | -02° 26’ 33” | 22.21 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 17 | 15h 11m 10s | -02° 29’ 54” | 22.22 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 18 | 15h 11m 54s | -02° 33’ 15” | 22.22 | Libra |
| 2024 Sep 19 | 15h 12m 38s | -02° 36’ 35” | 22.22 | Libra |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 14P/Wolf?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 14P/Wolf from Earth?)
- When does Comet 14P/Wolf rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 14P/Wolf?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 14P/Wolf orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 14P/Wolf with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 14P/Wolf for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 14P/Wolf in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 14P/Wolf with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.