Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma
Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma is in the constellation of
Libra,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma 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 38P/Stephan-Oterma from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 38P/Stephan-Oterma is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 38P/Stephan-Oterma is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma 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 38P/Stephan-Oterma 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 38P/Stephan-Oterma to Earth happens on Mon Dec 17 2018 at a distance of 0.765727 Astronomical Units, or 114,551,108 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 38P/Stephan-Oterma, 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 38P/Stephan-Oterma at epoch 27 May 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458266.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.85928734 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 18.35295008° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.58850911 AU 237,637,581 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
20.98954679 AU 3,139,991,513 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
11.28902795 AU 1,688,814,547 km |
| Orbital period | period |
37.9309 years 13,854.2573 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2018-Nov-10 23:41:26 2,458,433.4871 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2056-Oct-16 05:51 2,472,287.7444 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 359.58851167059° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 78.000299016178° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 355.66087469768° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.02598479°/day |
View Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma 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 Jun 06 | 15h 39m 06s | -11° 50’ 38” | 28.26 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 15h 38m 51s | -11° 50’ 10” | 28.26 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 15h 38m 37s | -11° 49’ 42” | 28.26 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 15h 38m 23s | -11° 49’ 16” | 28.27 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 15h 38m 08s | -11° 48’ 50” | 28.27 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 15h 37m 54s | -11° 48’ 26” | 28.27 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 15h 37m 40s | -11° 48’ 02” | 28.27 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 15h 37m 27s | -11° 47’ 38” | 28.28 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 15h 37m 13s | -11° 47’ 17” | 28.28 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 15h 37m 00s | -11° 46’ 55” | 28.28 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 15h 36m 47s | -11° 46’ 36” | 28.28 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 15h 36m 34s | -11° 46’ 16” | 28.29 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 15h 36m 21s | -11° 45’ 57” | 28.29 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 15h 36m 08s | -11° 45’ 41” | 28.29 | Libra |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma?: Key information on locating Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma with respect to the major Solar System objects.