Comet 46P/Wirtanen
Comet 46P/Wirtanen is in the constellation of
Virgo,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
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 46P/Wirtanen from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 46P/Wirtanen is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 46P/Wirtanen is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 46P/Wirtanen is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 46P/Wirtanen?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 46P/Wirtanen in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 46P/Wirtanen from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 46P/Wirtanen 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 46P/Wirtanen from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 46P/Wirtanen to Earth happens on Mon Dec 17 2018 at a distance of 0.077509 Astronomical Units, or 11,595,162 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 46P/Wirtanen, 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 46P/Wirtanen at epoch 12 December 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458465.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.65875968 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 11.74759189° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.05535577 AU 157,878,976 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.13005504 AU 767,445,312 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.09270540 AU 462,662,144 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.4390 years 1,986.5809 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2018-Dec-12 22:20:55 2,458,465.4312 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2024-May-21 12:17 2,460,452.0121 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 356.34109457074° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 82.157638993407° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 0.012467187040873° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18121588°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 46P/Wirtanen in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 46P/Wirtanen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Oct 04 | 12h 23m 03s | +05° 59’ 43” | 20.16 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 05 | 12h 25m 04s | +05° 47’ 21” | 20.17 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 06 | 12h 27m 05s | +05° 35’ 04” | 20.19 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 07 | 12h 29m 04s | +05° 22’ 52” | 20.20 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 08 | 12h 31m 03s | +05° 10’ 45” | 20.21 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 12h 33m 02s | +04° 58’ 43” | 20.23 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 12h 34m 59s | +04° 46’ 47” | 20.24 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 11 | 12h 36m 56s | +04° 34’ 56” | 20.25 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 12 | 12h 38m 52s | +04° 23’ 09” | 20.26 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 13 | 12h 40m 48s | +04° 11’ 29” | 20.27 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 14 | 12h 42m 43s | +03° 59’ 54” | 20.29 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 12h 44m 37s | +03° 48’ 24” | 20.30 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 12h 46m 30s | +03° 36’ 58” | 20.31 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 17 | 12h 48m 23s | +03° 25’ 39” | 20.32 | Virgo |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 46P/Wirtanen?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 46P/Wirtanen from Earth?)
- When does Comet 46P/Wirtanen rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 46P/Wirtanen?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 46P/Wirtanen orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 46P/Wirtanen with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 46P/Wirtanen for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 46P/Wirtanen in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 46P/Wirtanen with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.