Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS
Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS is in the constellation of
Pictor,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS 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 161P/Hartley-IRAS from Derby, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Today Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS is not visible from Derby, United Kingdom
- 161P/Hartley-IRAS is below the horizon from Derby, United Kingdom.
- Given its current magnitude, 161P/Hartley-IRAS is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS 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 161P/Hartley-IRAS 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 161P/Hartley-IRAS to Earth happens on Fri Oct 2 2026 at a distance of 0.505482 Astronomical Units, or 75,618,969 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 161P/Hartley-IRAS, 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 161P/Hartley-IRAS at epoch 03 July 2004 00:00 UTC (JD: 2453190.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.83508810 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 95.69805020° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.27482939 AU 190,711,762 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
14.18590285 AU 2,122,180,865 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
7.73036612 AU 1,156,446,313 km |
| Orbital period | period |
21.4936 years 7,850.5218 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2005-Jun-20 20:24:46 2,453,542.3505 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2026-Dec-18 08:56 2,461,392.8723 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 47.091452375467° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 1.3981653712267° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 343.86525171541° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.04585682°/day |
View Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS 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 | 05h 29m 59s | -50° 06’ 49” | 23.70 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 05h 30m 45s | -50° 05’ 31” | 23.69 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 05h 31m 32s | -50° 04’ 22” | 23.68 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 05h 32m 18s | -50° 03’ 21” | 23.68 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 05h 33m 05s | -50° 02’ 29” | 23.67 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 05h 33m 51s | -50° 01’ 46” | 23.66 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 20 | 05h 34m 38s | -50° 01’ 11” | 23.65 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 21 | 05h 35m 24s | -50° 00’ 46” | 23.64 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 22 | 05h 36m 11s | -50° 00’ 28” | 23.63 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 23 | 05h 36m 57s | -50° 00’ 21” | 23.62 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 24 | 05h 37m 44s | -50° 00’ 22” | 23.61 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 25 | 05h 38m 30s | -50° 00’ 31” | 23.60 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 26 | 05h 39m 17s | -50° 00’ 51” | 23.59 | Pictor |
| 2025 Jun 27 | 05h 40m 03s | -50° 01’ 19” | 23.58 | Pictor |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS?: Key information on where to find Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS in the sky.
- Distance of Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS from Earth: Find out how far Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS with respect to the major Solar System objects.