Comet 263P/Gibbs
Comet 263P/Gibbs is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
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 263P/Gibbs from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 263P/Gibbs is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-East direction at an altitude of 3.94° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 263P/Gibbs 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 263P/Gibbs is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 263P/Gibbs?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 263P/Gibbs in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 263P/Gibbs from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 263P/Gibbs 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 263P/Gibbs 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 263P/Gibbs to Earth happens on Sun Feb 2 2087 at a distance of 0.322667 Astronomical Units, or 48,270,311 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 263P/Gibbs, 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 263P/Gibbs at epoch 12 September 2013 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456548.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.58746564 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 11.53600639° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.26317796 AU 188,968,733 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.86081105 AU 727,166,985 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.06199450 AU 458,067,859 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.3581 years 1,957.0640 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2012-May-20 22:23:14 2,456,068.4328 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2017-Sep-28 23:55 2,458,025.4968 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 34.5024715632° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 105.87223624995° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 88.307886868955° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18394901°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 263P/Gibbs in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 263P/Gibbs 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 03 | 19h 05m 35s | -25° 11’ 06” | 24.88 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 04 | 19h 05m 53s | -25° 10’ 55” | 24.89 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 05 | 19h 06m 12s | -25° 10’ 44” | 24.90 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 06 | 19h 06m 32s | -25° 10’ 30” | 24.91 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 07 | 19h 06m 53s | -25° 10’ 15” | 24.92 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 08 | 19h 07m 15s | -25° 09’ 58” | 24.93 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 19h 07m 37s | -25° 09’ 40” | 24.94 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 19h 08m 01s | -25° 09’ 20” | 24.95 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 11 | 19h 08m 25s | -25° 08’ 57” | 24.96 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 12 | 19h 08m 50s | -25° 08’ 34” | 24.97 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 13 | 19h 09m 16s | -25° 08’ 08” | 24.98 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 14 | 19h 09m 42s | -25° 07’ 41” | 24.99 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 19h 10m 09s | -25° 07’ 12” | 25.00 | Sagittarius |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 19h 10m 38s | -25° 06’ 42” | 25.01 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 263P/Gibbs?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 263P/Gibbs from Earth?)
- When does Comet 263P/Gibbs rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 263P/Gibbs?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 263P/Gibbs orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 263P/Gibbs with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 263P/Gibbs for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 263P/Gibbs in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 263P/Gibbs with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.