Comet 46P/Wirtanen Position Calculator
Compute the position of Comet 46P/Wirtanen for any date and time between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099 and visualize the results on an interactive sky map.
In Evidence
Comet 46P/Wirtanen
Comet 46P/Wirtanen is in the constellation of
Virgo,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
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.
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.
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 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 46P/Wirtanen to Earth happens on Mon Dec 17 2018 at a distance of 0.077508 Astronomical Units, or 11,595,104 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 | 0.65875501 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 11.74754876° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.05535538 AU 157,878,919 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.12996837 AU 767,432,346 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.09266187 AU 462,655,632 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.4388 years 1,986.5390 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2018-Dec-12 22:20:53 2,458,465.4312 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2024-May-21 11:16 2,460,451.9701 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 356.34107185707° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 82.157633924941° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 0.012473510012316° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18121970°/day |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 11 | 14h 22m 55s | -02° 14’ 56” | 21.21 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 12 | 14h 22m 03s | -02° 13’ 22” | 21.22 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 13 | 14h 21m 11s | -02° 11’ 55” | 21.23 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 14 | 14h 20m 21s | -02° 10’ 34” | 21.24 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 15 | 14h 19m 31s | -02° 09’ 21” | 21.26 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 16 | 14h 18m 42s | -02° 08’ 15” | 21.27 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 17 | 14h 17m 54s | -02° 07’ 15” | 21.28 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 18 | 14h 17m 06s | -02° 06’ 23” | 21.29 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 19 | 14h 16m 20s | -02° 05’ 38” | 21.31 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 20 | 14h 15m 35s | -02° 04’ 59” | 21.32 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 21 | 14h 14m 50s | -02° 04’ 28” | 21.33 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 22 | 14h 14m 07s | -02° 04’ 04” | 21.34 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 23 | 14h 13m 24s | -02° 03’ 47” | 21.36 | Virgo |
| 2025 May 24 | 14h 12m 42s | -02° 03’ 37” | 21.37 | Virgo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 46P/Wirtanen: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com
- Where is Comet 46P/Wirtanen?: Key information on locating Comet 46P/Wirtanen in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 46P/Wirtanen is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 46P/Wirtanen?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 46P/Wirtanen's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 46P/Wirtanen's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 46P/Wirtanen's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 46P/Wirtanen orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 46P/Wirtanen with respect to the major Solar System objects.