Comet 240P/NEAT
Comet 240P/NEAT is in the constellation of
Cetus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
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.
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):
- 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
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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 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 240P/NEAT to Earth happens on Sat Nov 27 2055 at a distance of 1.107237 Astronomical Units, or 165,640,231 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 05 November 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458428.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.44890135 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 23.50431067° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.13378084 AU 319,209,071 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.60995375 AU 839,237,137 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.87186729 AU 579,223,104 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.6188 years 2,782.7816 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2018-May-15 20:26:33 2,458,254.3518 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2025-Dec-27 15:12 2,461,037.1334 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 352.08966865839° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 74.924884036785° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 22.529026401002° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.12936696°/day |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 18 | 01h 21m 40s | -11° 31’ 51” | 17.09 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 19 | 01h 23m 18s | -11° 23’ 04” | 17.08 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 20 | 01h 24m 57s | -11° 14’ 20” | 17.06 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 21 | 01h 26m 35s | -11° 05’ 37” | 17.04 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 22 | 01h 28m 13s | -10° 56’ 57” | 17.03 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 23 | 01h 29m 51s | -10° 48’ 20” | 17.01 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 24 | 01h 31m 29s | -10° 39’ 45” | 17.00 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 25 | 01h 33m 07s | -10° 31’ 13” | 16.98 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 26 | 01h 34m 45s | -10° 22’ 45” | 16.96 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 27 | 01h 36m 23s | -10° 14’ 18” | 16.95 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 28 | 01h 38m 01s | -10° 05’ 56” | 16.93 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 29 | 01h 39m 38s | -09° 57’ 35” | 16.91 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 30 | 01h 41m 16s | -09° 49’ 18” | 16.90 | Cetus |
| 2025 May 31 | 01h 42m 54s | -09° 41’ 03” | 16.88 | Cetus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 240P/NEAT: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 240P/NEAT?: Key information on locating Comet 240P/NEAT in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 240P/NEAT is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 240P/NEAT?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 240P/NEAT's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 240P/NEAT's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 240P/NEAT's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 240P/NEAT orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 240P/NEAT with respect to the major Solar System objects.