Comet 16P/Brooks
Comet 16P/Brooks 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 16P/Brooks is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 16P/Brooks?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 16P/Brooks 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 16P/Brooks from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 16P/Brooks is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 16P/Brooks is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 16P/Brooks from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 16P/Brooks 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 16P/Brooks 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 16P/Brooks to Earth happens on Tue Oct 9 2068 at a distance of 0.771811 Astronomical Units, or 115,461,285 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 16P/Brooks, 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 16P/Brooks at epoch 11 June 2016 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457551.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.56897473 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 4.30690001° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.45450812 AU 217,591,318 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.29455387 AU 792,053,987 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.37453100 AU 504,822,653 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.1991 years 2,264.2197 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2014-Jun-14 18:26:56 2,456,823.2687 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2020-Aug-25 23:43 2,459,087.4884 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 220.16604620772° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 159.34301681038° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 115.78526104292° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15899517°/day |
View Comet 16P/Brooks in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 16P/Brooks 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 06 | 13h 55m 13s | -08° 08’ 03” | 25.28 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 13h 54m 54s | -08° 06’ 47” | 25.29 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 13h 54m 35s | -08° 05’ 33” | 25.29 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 13h 54m 17s | -08° 04’ 23” | 25.30 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 13h 54m 00s | -08° 03’ 19” | 25.30 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 13h 53m 43s | -08° 02’ 18” | 25.30 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 13h 53m 27s | -08° 01’ 20” | 25.31 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 13h 53m 12s | -08° 00’ 28” | 25.31 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 13h 52m 57s | -07° 59’ 40” | 25.32 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 13h 52m 43s | -07° 58’ 55” | 25.32 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 13h 52m 30s | -07° 58’ 14” | 25.32 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 13h 52m 18s | -07° 57’ 38” | 25.33 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 13h 52m 06s | -07° 57’ 07” | 25.33 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 13h 51m 55s | -07° 56’ 39” | 25.34 | Virgo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 16P/Brooks: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 16P/Brooks?: Key information on locating Comet 16P/Brooks in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 16P/Brooks is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 16P/Brooks?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 16P/Brooks's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 16P/Brooks's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 16P/Brooks's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 16P/Brooks orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 16P/Brooks with respect to the major Solar System objects.