Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf
Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is in the constellation of
Scorpius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf 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 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf 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 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf 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 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf to Earth happens on Tue Jun 10 2059 at a distance of 1.485167 Astronomical Units, or 222,177,799 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 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf, 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 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf at epoch 30 September 1989 00:00 UTC (JD: 2447800.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.97195226 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 19.33394047° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.47875271 AU 71,620,386 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
33.65966096 AU 5,035,413,618 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
17.06920683 AU 2,553,517,002 km |
| Orbital period | period |
70.5226 years 25,758.3736 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 1989-Sep-11 22:29:54 2,447,781.4374 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2060-Mar-21 07:27 2,473,539.8111 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 129.61068367887° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 311.58546221411° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 0.26641915255031° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.01397604°/day |
View Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf 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 15 | 17h 27m 37s | -38° 26’ 35” | 27.54 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 17h 27m 28s | -38° 26’ 29” | 27.54 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 17h 27m 19s | -38° 26’ 21” | 27.54 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 17h 27m 11s | -38° 26’ 12” | 27.54 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 17h 27m 02s | -38° 26’ 04” | 27.54 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 20 | 17h 26m 53s | -38° 25’ 54” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 21 | 17h 26m 44s | -38° 25’ 44” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 22 | 17h 26m 35s | -38° 25’ 35” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 23 | 17h 26m 26s | -38° 25’ 24” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 24 | 17h 26m 18s | -38° 25’ 12” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 25 | 17h 26m 09s | -38° 25’ 01” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 26 | 17h 26m 00s | -38° 24’ 48” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 27 | 17h 25m 52s | -38° 24’ 35” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 28 | 17h 25m 43s | -38° 24’ 23” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf?: Key information on where to find Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf in the sky.
- Distance of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf from Earth: Find out how far Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf with respect to the major Solar System objects.