Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost)
Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) is in the constellation of
Centaurus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) 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 20D/Westphal (Lost) from Brielle, United States (all times relative to the local timezone America/New_York):
Today Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) is not visible from Brielle, United States
- 20D/Westphal (Lost) is below the horizon from Brielle, United States.
- Given its current magnitude, 20D/Westphal (Lost) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) 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 20D/Westphal (Lost) 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 20D/Westphal (Lost) to Earth happens on Wed Apr 18 2096 at a distance of 2.068993 Astronomical Units, or 309,516,955 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 20D/Westphal (Lost), 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 20D/Westphal (Lost) at epoch 01 January 1970 00:00 UTC (JD: 2420080.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.91983119 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 40.89006106° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.25401276 AU 187,597,639 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
30.03029210 AU 4,492,467,764 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
15.64215243 AU 2,340,032,701 km |
| Orbital period | period |
61.8661 years 22,596.6052 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 1913-Nov-26 18:57:58 2,420,098.2903 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 1975-Oct-09 09:29 2,442,694.8954 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 57.08095497142° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 348.00644693114° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 359.71657281861° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.01593160°/day |
View Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 20D/Westphal (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Jun 14 | 14h 07m 23s | -55° 13’ 53” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 14h 07m 12s | -55° 12’ 15” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 14h 07m 02s | -55° 10’ 36” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 14h 06m 52s | -55° 08’ 58” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 14h 06m 43s | -55° 07’ 18” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 14h 06m 33s | -55° 05’ 37” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 20 | 14h 06m 24s | -55° 03’ 56” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 21 | 14h 06m 15s | -55° 02’ 15” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 22 | 14h 06m 07s | -55° 00’ 34” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 23 | 14h 05m 59s | -54° 58’ 52” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 24 | 14h 05m 50s | -54° 57’ 09” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 25 | 14h 05m 43s | -54° 55’ 26” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 26 | 14h 05m 35s | -54° 53’ 43” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
| 2025 Jun 27 | 14h 05m 28s | -54° 51’ 59” | 29.16 | Centaurus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost)?: Key information on where to find Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) in the sky.
- Distance of Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) from Earth: Find out how far Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost)'s position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 20D/Westphal (Lost) with respect to the major Solar System objects.