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 Itxassou, Francia (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/Paris):
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27 2025 | 07h 14m 33s | +12° 15’ 33” | 21.54 | Gemini |
| Jun 28 2025 | 07h 16m 33s | +12° 09’ 43” | 21.57 | Canis Minoris |
| Jun 29 2025 | 07h 18m 31s | +12° 03’ 49” | 21.59 | Canis Minoris |
| Jun 30 2025 | 07h 20m 30s | +11° 57’ 51” | 21.62 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 01 2025 | 07h 22m 27s | +11° 51’ 46” | 21.65 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 02 2025 | 07h 24m 25s | +11° 45’ 39” | 21.68 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 03 2025 | 07h 26m 21s | +11° 39’ 27” | 21.71 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 04 2025 | 07h 28m 18s | +11° 33’ 10” | 21.73 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 05 2025 | 07h 30m 13s | +11° 26’ 50” | 21.76 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 06 2025 | 07h 32m 08s | +11° 20’ 25” | 21.79 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 07 2025 | 07h 34m 03s | +11° 13’ 56” | 21.82 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 08 2025 | 07h 35m 57s | +11° 07’ 23” | 21.84 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 09 2025 | 07h 37m 51s | +11° 00’ 46” | 21.87 | Canis Minoris |
| Jul 10 2025 | 07h 39m 44s | +10° 54’ 05” | 21.90 | Canis Minoris |
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.