Comet 164P/Christensen
Comet 164P/Christensen is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
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 164P/Christensen from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 164P/Christensen is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 164P/Christensen 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 164P/Christensen is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 164P/Christensen?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 164P/Christensen in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 164P/Christensen from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 164P/Christensen 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 164P/Christensen 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 164P/Christensen to Earth happens on Tue Dec 4 2074 at a distance of 0.812188 Astronomical Units, or 121,501,628 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 164P/Christensen, 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 164P/Christensen at epoch 10 December 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457002.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.54028603 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 16.26201829° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.68145002 AU 251,541,342 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.63375092 AU 842,797,143 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.65760047 AU 547,169,243 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.9952 years 2,555.0113 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2018-May-30 21:53:37 2,458,269.4122 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2025-May-28 22:09 2,460,824.4235 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 326.00391345373° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 88.30743483611° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 181.49260663498° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.14089957°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 164P/Christensen in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 164P/Christensen 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 Oct 07 | 20h 18m 34s | -35° 33’ 13” | 17.94 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 08 | 20h 18m 56s | -35° 29’ 43” | 17.95 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 20h 19m 20s | -35° 26’ 06” | 17.95 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 20h 19m 46s | -35° 22’ 23” | 17.95 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 11 | 20h 20m 14s | -35° 18’ 34” | 17.95 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 12 | 20h 20m 43s | -35° 14’ 39” | 17.96 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 13 | 20h 21m 14s | -35° 10’ 39” | 17.96 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 14 | 20h 21m 47s | -35° 06’ 31” | 17.96 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 20h 22m 20s | -35° 02’ 18” | 17.96 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 20h 22m 57s | -34° 57’ 59” | 17.97 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 17 | 20h 23m 34s | -34° 53’ 34” | 17.97 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 18 | 20h 24m 14s | -34° 49’ 04” | 17.97 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 19 | 20h 24m 55s | -34° 44’ 28” | 17.97 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 20 | 20h 25m 38s | -34° 39’ 47” | 17.98 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 164P/Christensen?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 164P/Christensen from Earth?)
- When does Comet 164P/Christensen rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 164P/Christensen?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 164P/Christensen orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 164P/Christensen with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 164P/Christensen for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 164P/Christensen in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 164P/Christensen with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.