Comet 46P/Wirtanen
Comet 46P/Wirtanen is in the constellation of
Virgo,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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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 Kayan, Myanmar (Burma) (all times relative to the local timezone Asia/Rangoon):
- 46P/Wirtanen is below the horizon from Kayan, Myanmar (Burma).
- Given its current magnitude, 46P/Wirtanen is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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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 Jun 02 | 14h 07m 18s | -02° 07’ 20” | 21.50 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 14h 06m 47s | -02° 08’ 19” | 21.51 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 14h 06m 17s | -02° 09’ 24” | 21.53 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 14h 05m 49s | -02° 10’ 37” | 21.54 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 14h 05m 22s | -02° 11’ 55” | 21.56 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 14h 04m 56s | -02° 13’ 20” | 21.57 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 14h 04m 31s | -02° 14’ 50” | 21.59 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 14h 04m 07s | -02° 16’ 28” | 21.60 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 14h 03m 44s | -02° 18’ 11” | 21.62 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 14h 03m 22s | -02° 20’ 00” | 21.63 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 14h 03m 02s | -02° 21’ 55” | 21.65 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 14h 02m 43s | -02° 23’ 56” | 21.66 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 14h 02m 25s | -02° 26’ 03” | 21.68 | Virgo |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 14h 02m 08s | -02° 28’ 15” | 21.69 | 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.