Comet 15P/Finlay
Comet 15P/Finlay is in the constellation of
Virgo,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 15P/Finlay is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 15P/Finlay?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 15P/Finlay 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 15P/Finlay from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 15P/Finlay is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-East direction at an altitude of 31.84° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 15P/Finlay is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 15P/Finlay from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 15P/Finlay 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 15P/Finlay 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 15P/Finlay to Earth happens on Sat Oct 23 2060 at a distance of 0.033494 Astronomical Units, or 5,010,590 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 15P/Finlay, 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 15P/Finlay at epoch 31 October 2015 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457327.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.72018544 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.80048040° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.97668698 AU 146,110,293 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.00427188 AU 898,226,291 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.49047943 AU 522,168,292 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.5213 years 2,381.9139 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2014-Dec-27 01:44:35 2,457,018.5726 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2021-Jul-04 23:40 2,459,400.4865 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 347.62574996526° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 13.753874751466° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 46.690962262876° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15113897°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 15P/Finlay in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 15P/Finlay 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 05 | 12h 09m 22s | -00° 14’ 06” | 25.02 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 06 | 12h 08m 59s | -00° 12’ 04” | 25.02 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 07 | 12h 08m 37s | -00° 10’ 05” | 25.02 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 08 | 12h 08m 15s | -00° 08’ 12” | 25.03 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 09 | 12h 07m 54s | -00° 06’ 21” | 25.03 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 10 | 12h 07m 34s | -00° 04’ 34” | 25.04 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 11 | 12h 07m 14s | -00° 02’ 51” | 25.04 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 12 | 12h 06m 55s | -00° 01’ 12” | 25.04 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 13 | 12h 06m 36s | +00° 00’ 22” | 25.05 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 14 | 12h 06m 18s | +00° 01’ 53” | 25.05 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 15 | 12h 06m 01s | +00° 03’ 20” | 25.06 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 16 | 12h 05m 44s | +00° 04’ 43” | 25.06 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 17 | 12h 05m 28s | +00° 06’ 02” | 25.06 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 18 | 12h 05m 13s | +00° 07’ 17” | 25.07 | Virgo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 15P/Finlay: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com
- Where is Comet 15P/Finlay?: Key information on locating Comet 15P/Finlay in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 15P/Finlay is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 15P/Finlay?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 15P/Finlay's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 15P/Finlay's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 15P/Finlay's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 15P/Finlay orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 15P/Finlay with respect to the major Solar System objects.