Comet 242P/Spahr
Comet 242P/Spahr is in the constellation of
Orion,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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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 above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East-South-East direction at an altitude of 11.72° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 242P/Spahr is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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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 |
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 Jun 06 | 05h 42m 58s | -02° 47’ 39” | 19.00 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 05h 44m 12s | -02° 46’ 31” | 19.00 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 05h 45m 26s | -02° 45’ 30” | 19.01 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 05h 46m 39s | -02° 44’ 33” | 19.01 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 05h 47m 53s | -02° 43’ 40” | 19.01 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 05h 49m 07s | -02° 42’ 52” | 19.01 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 05h 50m 21s | -02° 42’ 10” | 19.02 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 05h 51m 34s | -02° 41’ 32” | 19.02 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 05h 52m 48s | -02° 40’ 59” | 19.02 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 05h 54m 02s | -02° 40’ 31” | 19.02 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 05h 55m 16s | -02° 40’ 08” | 19.02 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 05h 56m 30s | -02° 39’ 50” | 19.03 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 05h 57m 44s | -02° 39’ 36” | 19.03 | Orion |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 05h 58m 58s | -02° 39’ 28” | 19.03 | Orion |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 242P/Spahr: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 242P/Spahr?: Key information on locating Comet 242P/Spahr in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 242P/Spahr is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 242P/Spahr?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 242P/Spahr's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 242P/Spahr's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 242P/Spahr's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 242P/Spahr orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 242P/Spahr with respect to the major Solar System objects.