Comet 263P/Gibbs
Comet 263P/Gibbs is in the constellation of
Capricornus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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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.
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 below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 263P/Gibbs is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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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 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 263P/Gibbs to Earth happens on Sun Feb 2 2087 at a distance of 0.322633 Astronomical Units, or 48,265,227 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 21 October 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458413.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.58779281 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 11.53837729° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.26148717 AU 188,715,794 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.85915890 AU 726,919,827 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.06032303 AU 457,817,811 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.3538 years 1,955.4618 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2017-Sep-29 21:29:30 2,458,026.3955 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2023-Feb-06 08:34 2,459,981.8573 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 34.57468046879° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 105.80770622729° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 71.265838312107° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18409974°/day |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 22 | 21h 57m 18s | -18° 22’ 28” | 24.96 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 23 | 21h 57m 30s | -18° 23’ 26” | 24.96 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 24 | 21h 57m 40s | -18° 24’ 27” | 24.95 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 25 | 21h 57m 50s | -18° 25’ 35” | 24.94 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 26 | 21h 57m 59s | -18° 26’ 46” | 24.94 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 27 | 21h 58m 07s | -18° 28’ 03” | 24.93 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 28 | 21h 58m 15s | -18° 29’ 24” | 24.92 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 29 | 21h 58m 21s | -18° 30’ 50” | 24.92 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 30 | 21h 58m 27s | -18° 32’ 21” | 24.91 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 31 | 21h 58m 32s | -18° 33’ 56” | 24.90 | Capricornus |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 21h 58m 36s | -18° 35’ 36” | 24.90 | Capricornus |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 21h 58m 40s | -18° 37’ 21” | 24.89 | Capricornus |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 21h 58m 42s | -18° 39’ 10” | 24.88 | Capricornus |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 21h 58m 44s | -18° 41’ 05” | 24.88 | Capricornus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 263P/Gibbs: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 263P/Gibbs?: Key information on locating Comet 263P/Gibbs in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 263P/Gibbs is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 263P/Gibbs?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 263P/Gibbs's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 263P/Gibbs's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 263P/Gibbs's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 263P/Gibbs orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 263P/Gibbs with respect to the major Solar System objects.