Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost)
Comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) is in the constellation of Canis Minoris, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial 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
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) from Clara, Ireland (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/Dublin):
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.
Distance from Earth
The distance of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) to Earth will happen on Sunday 28 November 2032 at a distance of 0.784610 Astronomical Units, or 117,375,995 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost), i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) at epoch UTC (JD: 2440240.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.64258098 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 17.75898277° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.27224808 AU 190,325,604 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.84683635 AU 874,674,270 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.55954221 AU 532,499,937 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.7158 years 2,452.9554 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | November 1, 1968 2,440,162.0421 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | July 21, 1975 2,442,614.9975 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 166.05041712495° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 240.87554663092° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 11.514613023145° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.14676174°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 07 2025 | 07h 34m 03s | +11° 13’ 55” | 21.82 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 08 2025 | 07h 35m 57s | +11° 07’ 22” | 21.84 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 09 2025 | 07h 37m 51s | +11° 00’ 45” | 21.87 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 10 2025 | 07h 39m 44s | +10° 54’ 04” | 21.90 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 11 2025 | 07h 41m 37s | +10° 47’ 18” | 21.92 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 12 2025 | 07h 43m 30s | +10° 40’ 29” | 21.95 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 13 2025 | 07h 45m 21s | +10° 33’ 37” | 21.98 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 14 2025 | 07h 47m 13s | +10° 26’ 40” | 22.00 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 15 2025 | 07h 49m 04s | +10° 19’ 39” | 22.03 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 16 2025 | 07h 50m 53s | +10° 12’ 35” | 22.06 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 17 2025 | 07h 52m 43s | +10° 05’ 27” | 22.08 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 18 2025 | 07h 54m 33s | +09° 58’ 15” | 22.11 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 19 2025 | 07h 56m 22s | +09° 51’ 00” | 22.14 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 20 2025 | 07h 58m 10s | +09° 43’ 41” | 22.16 | Cancer |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost)?: Key information on where to find comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) in the sky.
- Distance of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) from Earth: Find out how far comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost)'s position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet 18D/Perrine-Mrkos (Lost) with respect to the major Solar System objects.