Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang
Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang 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 153P/Ikeya-Zhang from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 153P/Ikeya-Zhang is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 153P/Ikeya-Zhang 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 153P/Ikeya-Zhang from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang 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 153P/Ikeya-Zhang 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 153P/Ikeya-Zhang to Earth happens on Sun Jun 30 2013 at a distance of 25.198931 Astronomical Units, or 3,769,706,411 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 153P/Ikeya-Zhang, 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 153P/Ikeya-Zhang at epoch 07 May 2002 00:00 UTC (JD: 2452402.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99008066 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 28.12095741° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.50707009 AU 75,856,606 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
101.73157425 AU 15,218,826,921 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
51.11932217 AU 7,647,341,763 km |
| Orbital period | period |
365.4987 years 133,498.3988 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2002-Mar-18 23:31:25 2,452,352.4802 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2367-Sep-20 09:05 2,585,850.8789 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 34.668178657425° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 93.369456618754° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 0.1348865811518° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00269666°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang 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 Dec 02 | 19h 56m 30s | -32° 07’ 10” | 36.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 03 | 19h 56m 35s | -32° 06’ 46” | 36.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 04 | 19h 56m 40s | -32° 06’ 22” | 36.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 05 | 19h 56m 44s | -32° 05’ 59” | 36.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 06 | 19h 56m 49s | -32° 05’ 36” | 36.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 07 | 19h 56m 55s | -32° 05’ 13” | 36.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 08 | 19h 57m 00s | -32° 04’ 49” | 36.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 09 | 19h 57m 05s | -32° 04’ 26” | 36.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 10 | 19h 57m 11s | -32° 04’ 02” | 36.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 11 | 19h 57m 16s | -32° 03’ 39” | 36.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 12 | 19h 57m 22s | -32° 03’ 16” | 36.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 13 | 19h 57m 27s | -32° 02’ 53” | 36.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 14 | 19h 57m 33s | -32° 02’ 31” | 36.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Dec 15 | 19h 57m 39s | -32° 02’ 08” | 36.18 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang from Earth?)
- When does Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.