Comet 46P/Wirtanen
Comet 46P/Wirtanen is in the constellation of Virgo, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 46P/Wirtanen 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 46P/Wirtanen 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 46P/Wirtanen from Coco, Puerto Rico (all times relative to the local timezone America/Puerto_Rico):
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 graph shows the distance of comet 46P/Wirtanen 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 46P/Wirtanen 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 46P/Wirtanen to Earth happened on Monday 17 December 2018 at a distance of 0.077508 Astronomical Units, or 11,595,104 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 46P/Wirtanen, 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 46P/Wirtanen at epoch December, 12 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 | December 12, 2018 2,458,465.4312 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | May 21, 2024 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 |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 46P/Wirtanen 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29 2025 | 14h 00m 04s | -03° 11’ 36” | 21.92 | Virgo |
| Jun 30 2025 | 14h 00m 04s | -03° 15’ 07” | 21.94 | Virgo |
| Jul 01 2025 | 14h 00m 05s | -03° 18’ 41” | 21.95 | Virgo |
| Jul 02 2025 | 14h 00m 07s | -03° 22’ 20” | 21.97 | Virgo |
| Jul 03 2025 | 14h 00m 10s | -03° 26’ 03” | 21.98 | Virgo |
| Jul 04 2025 | 14h 00m 14s | -03° 29’ 49” | 22.00 | Virgo |
| Jul 05 2025 | 14h 00m 20s | -03° 33’ 38” | 22.01 | Virgo |
| Jul 06 2025 | 14h 00m 26s | -03° 37’ 32” | 22.03 | Virgo |
| Jul 07 2025 | 14h 00m 33s | -03° 41’ 30” | 22.04 | Virgo |
| Jul 08 2025 | 14h 00m 41s | -03° 45’ 30” | 22.06 | Virgo |
| Jul 09 2025 | 14h 00m 49s | -03° 49’ 35” | 22.07 | Virgo |
| Jul 10 2025 | 14h 00m 59s | -03° 53’ 42” | 22.09 | Virgo |
| Jul 11 2025 | 14h 01m 10s | -03° 57’ 52” | 22.10 | Virgo |
| Jul 12 2025 | 14h 01m 21s | -04° 02’ 06” | 22.12 | Virgo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 46P/Wirtanen: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 46P/Wirtanen?: Key information on where to find comet 46P/Wirtanen in the sky.
- Distance of comet 46P/Wirtanen 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: Rise and set times of comet 46P/Wirtanen from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 46P/Wirtanen's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 46P/Wirtanen's position using 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.