Comet 240P/NEAT
Comet 240P/NEAT is in the constellation of
Microscopium,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
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 240P/NEAT from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Today Comet 240P/NEAT is not visible from Greenwich, UK
- 240P/NEAT is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 240P/NEAT is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 240P/NEAT is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 240P/NEAT?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 240P/NEAT in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 240P/NEAT from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 240P/NEAT 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 240P/NEAT from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 240P/NEAT to Earth happens on Thu Nov 25 2055 at a distance of 1.118207 Astronomical Units, or 167,281,380 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 240P/NEAT, 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 240P/NEAT at epoch 13 March 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456730.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.44979153 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 23.52457999° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.12840301 AU 318,404,558 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.60831184 AU 838,991,511 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.86835742 AU 578,698,034 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.6085 years 2,778.9985 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2010-Oct-04 18:16:27 2,455,474.2614 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2018-May-14 18:14 2,458,253.2600 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 352.15238932078° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 74.951857672022° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 162.73700010059° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.12954307°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 240P/NEAT in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 240P/NEAT 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Oct 08 | 20h 28m 28s | -42° 48’ 23” | 18.16 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 20h 28m 38s | -42° 43’ 38” | 18.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 20h 28m 50s | -42° 38’ 48” | 18.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 11 | 20h 29m 03s | -42° 33’ 55” | 18.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 12 | 20h 29m 18s | -42° 28’ 56” | 18.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 13 | 20h 29m 34s | -42° 23’ 54” | 18.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 14 | 20h 29m 51s | -42° 18’ 47” | 18.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 20h 30m 10s | -42° 13’ 38” | 18.19 | Microscopium |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 20h 30m 30s | -42° 08’ 23” | 18.19 | Microscopium |
| 2024 Oct 17 | 20h 30m 51s | -42° 03’ 05” | 18.19 | Microscopium |
| 2024 Oct 18 | 20h 31m 13s | -41° 57’ 44” | 18.19 | Microscopium |
| 2024 Oct 19 | 20h 31m 37s | -41° 52’ 18” | 18.20 | Microscopium |
| 2024 Oct 20 | 20h 32m 02s | -41° 46’ 50” | 18.20 | Microscopium |
| 2024 Oct 21 | 20h 32m 29s | -41° 41’ 18” | 18.20 | Microscopium |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 240P/NEAT?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 240P/NEAT from Earth?)
- When does Comet 240P/NEAT rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 240P/NEAT?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 240P/NEAT orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 240P/NEAT with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 240P/NEAT for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 240P/NEAT in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 240P/NEAT with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.