Comet 287P/Christensen
Comet 287P/Christensen is in the constellation of Orion, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 287P/Christensen in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet 287P/Christensen against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial 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
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet 287P/Christensen from Islaz, Romania (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/Bucharest):
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 287P/Christensen from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 287P/Christensen from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 287P/Christensen from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet 287P/Christensen to Earth happened on Thursday 31 August 2023 at a distance of 2.046697 Astronomical Units, or 306,181,458 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet 287P/Christensen, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet 287P/Christensen at epoch July, 10 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 | December 28, 2014 2,457,020.2174 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | July 14, 2023 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
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 287P/Christensen relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 2025 | 05h 42m 36s | +12° 21’ 13” | 23.38 | Orion |
| Jun 26 2025 | 05h 43m 41s | +12° 22’ 09” | 23.39 | Orion |
| Jun 27 2025 | 05h 44m 45s | +12° 23’ 03” | 23.39 | Orion |
| Jun 28 2025 | 05h 45m 49s | +12° 23’ 54” | 23.40 | Orion |
| Jun 29 2025 | 05h 46m 53s | +12° 24’ 41” | 23.40 | Orion |
| Jun 30 2025 | 05h 47m 57s | +12° 25’ 26” | 23.41 | Orion |
| Jul 01 2025 | 05h 49m 01s | +12° 26’ 08” | 23.41 | Orion |
| Jul 02 2025 | 05h 50m 04s | +12° 26’ 46” | 23.41 | Orion |
| Jul 03 2025 | 05h 51m 08s | +12° 27’ 22” | 23.42 | Orion |
| Jul 04 2025 | 05h 52m 11s | +12° 27’ 55” | 23.42 | Orion |
| Jul 05 2025 | 05h 53m 14s | +12° 28’ 24” | 23.43 | Orion |
| Jul 06 2025 | 05h 54m 18s | +12° 28’ 51” | 23.43 | Orion |
| Jul 07 2025 | 05h 55m 21s | +12° 29’ 15” | 23.43 | Orion |
| Jul 08 2025 | 05h 56m 24s | +12° 29’ 35” | 23.44 | Orion |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 287P/Christensen: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 287P/Christensen?: Key information on where to find comet 287P/Christensen in the sky.
- Distance of comet 287P/Christensen 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: Rise and set times of comet 287P/Christensen from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 287P/Christensen's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 287P/Christensen's position using 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.