Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang
Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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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 above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-West direction at an altitude of 0.05° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 153P/Ikeya-Zhang is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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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 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang to Earth happens on Tue Apr 30 2002 at a distance of 0.404460 Astronomical Units, or 60,506,399 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 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 15 | 20h 07m 38s | -31° 59’ 50” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 16 | 20h 07m 36s | -32° 00’ 14” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 17 | 20h 07m 33s | -32° 00’ 38” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 18 | 20h 07m 30s | -32° 01’ 03” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 19 | 20h 07m 27s | -32° 01’ 28” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 20 | 20h 07m 24s | -32° 01’ 52” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 21 | 20h 07m 21s | -32° 02’ 17” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 22 | 20h 07m 18s | -32° 02’ 42” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 23 | 20h 07m 14s | -32° 03’ 07” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 24 | 20h 07m 11s | -32° 03’ 32” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 25 | 20h 07m 07s | -32° 03’ 57” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 26 | 20h 07m 04s | -32° 04’ 22” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 27 | 20h 07m 00s | -32° 04’ 47” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 28 | 20h 06m 56s | -32° 05’ 14” | 36.21 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang?: Key information on locating Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang with respect to the major Solar System objects.