Comet 246P/NEAT
Comet 246P/NEAT is in the constellation of
Taurus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 246P/NEAT is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 246P/NEAT?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 246P/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 246P/NEAT from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 246P/NEAT is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the West direction at an altitude of 39.00° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 246P/NEAT is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 246P/NEAT from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 246P/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 246P/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 246P/NEAT to Earth happens on Thu Jul 1 2021 at a distance of 1.944327 Astronomical Units, or 290,867,158 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 246P/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 246P/NEAT at epoch 20 May 2013 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456433.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.28504446 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 15.97171595° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.87972047 AU 430,800,052 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.17594265 AU 774,310,001 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.02783156 AU 602,555,026 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.0838 years 2,952.6052 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2013-Jan-28 15:13:27 2,456,321.1343 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2021-Feb-28 05:44 2,459,273.7395 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 176.17171844065° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 78.780535978111° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 13.700320180649° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.12192622°/day |
View Comet 246P/NEAT in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 246P/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 15 | 04h 59m 13s | +24° 14’ 02” | 20.47 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 16 | 05h 00m 06s | +24° 16’ 19” | 20.47 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 17 | 05h 00m 59s | +24° 18’ 35” | 20.47 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 18 | 05h 01m 53s | +24° 20’ 51” | 20.47 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 19 | 05h 02m 47s | +24° 23’ 05” | 20.47 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 20 | 05h 03m 40s | +24° 25’ 19” | 20.48 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 21 | 05h 04m 34s | +24° 27’ 31” | 20.48 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 22 | 05h 05m 29s | +24° 29’ 43” | 20.48 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 23 | 05h 06m 24s | +24° 31’ 54” | 20.48 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 24 | 05h 07m 18s | +24° 34’ 04” | 20.48 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 25 | 05h 08m 13s | +24° 36’ 14” | 20.48 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 26 | 05h 09m 07s | +24° 38’ 22” | 20.48 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 27 | 05h 10m 02s | +24° 40’ 29” | 20.49 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 28 | 05h 10m 57s | +24° 42’ 36” | 20.49 | Taurus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 246P/NEAT: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 246P/NEAT?: Key information on locating Comet 246P/NEAT in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 246P/NEAT is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 246P/NEAT?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 246P/NEAT's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 246P/NEAT's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 246P/NEAT's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 246P/NEAT orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 246P/NEAT with respect to the major Solar System objects.