Comet 242P/Spahr
Comet 242P/Spahr is in the constellation of
Eridanus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 242P/Spahr is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.


Also check out Where is Comet 242P/Spahr?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 242P/Spahr 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 242P/Spahr from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 242P/Spahr is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 242P/Spahr 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.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 242P/Spahr from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 242P/Spahr 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 242P/Spahr 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 242P/Spahr to Earth happens on Fri Oct 17 2036 at a distance of 3.065836 Astronomical Units, or 458,642,481 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 242P/Spahr, 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 242P/Spahr at epoch 30 September 2010 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455470.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
Element | Symbol | Value |
---|---|---|
Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.31060857 |
Orbit inclination | i | 32.70387937° |
Perihelion distance | q | 3.91921318 AU 586,305,948 km |
Aphelion distance | Q |
7.45085331 AU 1,114,631,792 km |
Semi-major axis | a |
5.68503324 AU 850,468,870 km |
Orbital period | period |
13.5553 years 4,951.0572 days |
Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2012-Mar-31 17:06:43 2,456,018.2130 JD |
Next perihelion transit | 2025-Oct-20 18:29 2,460,969.2702 JD |
|
Argument of perihelion | peri | 248.52949968913° |
Longitude of the ascending node | node | 181.02804796066° |
Mean anomaly | M | 320.17483230633° |
Mean motion | n | 0.07271174°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 242P/Spahr in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 242P/Spahr 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 Jan 31 | 03h 49m 03s | -13° 36’ 41” | 18.29 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 01 | 03h 49m 19s | -13° 30’ 04” | 18.30 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 02 | 03h 49m 36s | -13° 23’ 25” | 18.30 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 03 | 03h 49m 53s | -13° 16’ 42” | 18.31 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 04 | 03h 50m 12s | -13° 09’ 58” | 18.32 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 05 | 03h 50m 32s | -13° 03’ 11” | 18.33 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 06 | 03h 50m 53s | -12° 56’ 21” | 18.34 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 07 | 03h 51m 14s | -12° 49’ 30” | 18.34 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 08 | 03h 51m 37s | -12° 42’ 36” | 18.35 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 09 | 03h 52m 00s | -12° 35’ 41” | 18.36 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 10 | 03h 52m 24s | -12° 28’ 44” | 18.37 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 11 | 03h 52m 49s | -12° 21’ 46” | 18.37 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 12 | 03h 53m 16s | -12° 14’ 47” | 18.38 | Eridanus |
2025 Feb 13 | 03h 53m 43s | -12° 07’ 45” | 18.39 | Eridanus |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 242P/Spahr?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 242P/Spahr from Earth?)
- When does Comet 242P/Spahr rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 242P/Spahr?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 242P/Spahr orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 242P/Spahr with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 242P/Spahr for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 242P/Spahr in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 242P/Spahr with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.