Comet 40P/Vaisala
Comet 40P/Vaisala is in the constellation of
Gemini,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 40P/Vaisala is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 40P/Vaisala?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 40P/Vaisala 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 40P/Vaisala from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 40P/Vaisala is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East-North-East direction at an altitude of 14.95° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 40P/Vaisala is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 40P/Vaisala from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 40P/Vaisala 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 40P/Vaisala 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 40P/Vaisala to Earth happens on Mon Mar 24 2070 at a distance of 0.879464 Astronomical Units, or 131,565,973 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 40P/Vaisala, 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 40P/Vaisala at epoch 08 February 2003 00:00 UTC (JD: 2452679.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.63293806 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 11.53901793° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.79533024 AU 268,577,582 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
7.98683486 AU 1,194,813,491 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.89108255 AU 731,695,536 km |
| Orbital period | period |
10.8172 years 3,950.9899 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2004-Jan-22 23:51:12 2,453,027.4939 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2014-Nov-16 23:36 2,456,978.4838 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 47.239001951896° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 134.73589970998° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 328.2920465776° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.09111641°/day |
View Comet 40P/Vaisala in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 40P/Vaisala 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 | 06h 56m 13s | +20° 35’ 13” | 19.26 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 06h 58m 11s | +20° 35’ 24” | 19.24 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 07h 00m 10s | +20° 35’ 28” | 19.23 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 07h 02m 09s | +20° 35’ 27” | 19.21 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 07h 04m 08s | +20° 35’ 17” | 19.20 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 07h 06m 08s | +20° 35’ 02” | 19.18 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 07h 08m 09s | +20° 34’ 41” | 19.17 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 07h 10m 10s | +20° 34’ 12” | 19.15 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 07h 12m 12s | +20° 33’ 38” | 19.14 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 07h 14m 14s | +20° 32’ 57” | 19.13 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 07h 16m 17s | +20° 32’ 08” | 19.11 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 07h 18m 20s | +20° 31’ 13” | 19.10 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 07h 20m 23s | +20° 30’ 12” | 19.08 | Gemini |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 07h 22m 28s | +20° 29’ 03” | 19.07 | Gemini |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 40P/Vaisala: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 40P/Vaisala?: Key information on locating Comet 40P/Vaisala in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 40P/Vaisala is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 40P/Vaisala?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 40P/Vaisala's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 40P/Vaisala's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 40P/Vaisala's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 40P/Vaisala orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 40P/Vaisala with respect to the major Solar System objects.