Comet 287P/Christensen
Comet 287P/Christensen is in the constellation of
Orion,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 287P/Christensen is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 287P/Christensen?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 287P/Christensen 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 287P/Christensen from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 287P/Christensen is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East direction at an altitude of 10.36° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 287P/Christensen is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 287P/Christensen from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 287P/Christensen 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 287P/Christensen 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 287P/Christensen to Earth happens on Thu Aug 31 2023 at a distance of 2.046697 Astronomical Units, or 306,181,458 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 287P/Christensen, 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 287P/Christensen at epoch 10 July 2013 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456484.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.26936948 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 16.29835487° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.05311997 AU 456,740,248 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.30437366 AU 793,523,006 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.17874682 AU 625,131,627 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.5423 years 3,120.0928 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2014-Dec-28 17:13:00 2,457,020.2174 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2023-Jul-14 19:26 2,460,140.3102 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 189.14864423695° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 139.06888892645° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 298.18829728155° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.11538118°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 287P/Christensen in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 287P/Christensen 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 06 | 04h 48m 44s | +10° 27’ 05” | 23.04 | Orion |
| 2025 May 07 | 04h 49m 47s | +10° 30’ 39” | 23.05 | Orion |
| 2025 May 08 | 04h 50m 50s | +10° 34’ 10” | 23.06 | Orion |
| 2025 May 09 | 04h 51m 53s | +10° 37’ 37” | 23.07 | Orion |
| 2025 May 10 | 04h 52m 56s | +10° 41’ 01” | 23.08 | Orion |
| 2025 May 11 | 04h 53m 59s | +10° 44’ 23” | 23.09 | Orion |
| 2025 May 12 | 04h 55m 03s | +10° 47’ 41” | 23.10 | Orion |
| 2025 May 13 | 04h 56m 07s | +10° 50’ 57” | 23.10 | Orion |
| 2025 May 14 | 04h 57m 10s | +10° 54’ 08” | 23.11 | Orion |
| 2025 May 15 | 04h 58m 14s | +10° 57’ 17” | 23.12 | Orion |
| 2025 May 16 | 04h 59m 18s | +11° 00’ 23” | 23.13 | Orion |
| 2025 May 17 | 05h 00m 23s | +11° 03’ 26” | 23.14 | Orion |
| 2025 May 18 | 05h 01m 27s | +11° 06’ 26” | 23.14 | Orion |
| 2025 May 19 | 05h 02m 31s | +11° 09’ 22” | 23.15 | Orion |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 287P/Christensen: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com
- Where is Comet 287P/Christensen?: Key information on locating Comet 287P/Christensen in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 287P/Christensen is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 287P/Christensen?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 287P/Christensen's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 287P/Christensen's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 287P/Christensen's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 287P/Christensen orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 287P/Christensen with respect to the major Solar System objects.