Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup
Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup is in the constellation of
Pisces,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup 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 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East-South-East direction at an altitude of 34.19° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup 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 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup 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 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup to Earth happens on Thu Apr 15 2083 at a distance of 0.308572 Astronomical Units, or 46,161,642 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 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup, 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 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup at epoch 30 March 2012 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456017.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.63966796 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 22.45511403° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.08972496 AU 163,020,534 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.95872393 AU 741,814,543 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.02422445 AU 452,417,538 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.2593 years 1,920.9650 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2013-Jul-06 00:05:12 2,456,479.5036 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2018-Oct-08 23:14 2,458,400.4686 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 1.8960856455529° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 211.63396647382° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 273.4178382901° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18740581°/day |
View Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup 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 17 | 00h 52m 27s | +14° 08’ 31” | 23.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 18 | 00h 53m 15s | +14° 13’ 06” | 23.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 19 | 00h 54m 03s | +14° 17’ 39” | 23.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 20 | 00h 54m 51s | +14° 22’ 11” | 23.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 21 | 00h 55m 38s | +14° 26’ 41” | 23.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 22 | 00h 56m 25s | +14° 31’ 09” | 23.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 23 | 00h 57m 11s | +14° 35’ 35” | 23.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 24 | 00h 57m 57s | +14° 39’ 59” | 23.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 25 | 00h 58m 43s | +14° 44’ 22” | 23.32 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 26 | 00h 59m 28s | +14° 48’ 42” | 23.32 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 27 | 01h 00m 13s | +14° 53’ 00” | 23.32 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 28 | 01h 00m 57s | +14° 57’ 16” | 23.32 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 29 | 01h 01m 41s | +15° 01’ 29” | 23.32 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 30 | 01h 02m 25s | +15° 05’ 41” | 23.32 | Pisces |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup?: Key information on locating Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup with respect to the major Solar System objects.