Comet 263P/Gibbs
Comet 263P/Gibbs is in the constellation of
Capricornus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
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
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 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 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
2025 Feb 11 | 20h 51m 49s | -21° 11’ 47” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 12 | 20h 52m 46s | -21° 08’ 50” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 13 | 20h 53m 42s | -21° 05’ 52” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 14 | 20h 54m 38s | -21° 02’ 55” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 15 | 20h 55m 34s | -20° 59’ 58” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 16 | 20h 56m 30s | -20° 57’ 01” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 17 | 20h 57m 26s | -20° 54’ 04” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 18 | 20h 58m 22s | -20° 51’ 07” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 19 | 20h 59m 17s | -20° 48’ 10” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 20 | 21h 00m 12s | -20° 45’ 15” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 21 | 21h 01m 07s | -20° 42’ 19” | 25.35 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 22 | 21h 02m 02s | -20° 39’ 24” | 25.34 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 23 | 21h 02m 56s | -20° 36’ 29” | 25.34 | Capricornus |
2025 Feb 24 | 21h 03m 50s | -20° 33’ 34” | 25.34 | Capricornus |
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.