Comet 496P/Hill
Comet 496P/Hill is in the constellation of Leo, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 496P/Hill 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 496P/Hill 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 496P/Hill from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
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 496P/Hill from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 496P/Hill 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 496P/Hill 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 496P/Hill to Earth will happen on Thursday 6 December 2068 at a distance of 0.927059 Astronomical Units, or 138,686,054 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 496P/Hill, 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 496P/Hill at epoch November, 15 2020 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459169.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.73321793 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 14.86604322° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.62060311 AU 242,438,775 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
10.52866229 AU 1,575,065,463 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
6.07463270 AU 908,752,119 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.9723 years 5,468.6290 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | March 12, 2025 2,460,747.1896 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | March 2, 2040 2,466,215.8186 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 41.934457354985° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 64.094446808482° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 256.14064855333° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06583003°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 496P/Hill 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 496P/Hill 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 27 2025 | 09h 56m 29s | +24° 46’ 09” | 19.60 | Leo |
| Jun 28 2025 | 09h 58m 55s | +24° 31’ 25” | 19.64 | Leo |
| Jun 29 2025 | 10h 01m 20s | +24° 16’ 37” | 19.68 | Leo |
| Jun 30 2025 | 10h 03m 44s | +24° 01’ 47” | 19.72 | Leo |
| Jul 01 2025 | 10h 06m 07s | +23° 46’ 56” | 19.76 | Leo |
| Jul 02 2025 | 10h 08m 30s | +23° 32’ 02” | 19.80 | Leo |
| Jul 03 2025 | 10h 10m 51s | +23° 17’ 08” | 19.84 | Leo |
| Jul 04 2025 | 10h 13m 12s | +23° 02’ 11” | 19.88 | Leo |
| Jul 05 2025 | 10h 15m 31s | +22° 47’ 13” | 19.92 | Leo |
| Jul 06 2025 | 10h 17m 49s | +22° 32’ 14” | 19.96 | Leo |
| Jul 07 2025 | 10h 20m 07s | +22° 17’ 15” | 20.00 | Leo |
| Jul 08 2025 | 10h 22m 24s | +22° 02’ 14” | 20.04 | Leo |
| Jul 09 2025 | 10h 24m 41s | +21° 47’ 12” | 20.08 | Leo |
| Jul 10 2025 | 10h 26m 55s | +21° 32’ 10” | 20.12 | Leo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 496P/Hill: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 496P/Hill?: Key information on where to find comet 496P/Hill in the sky.
- Distance of comet 496P/Hill from Earth: Find out how far comet 496P/Hill is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 496P/Hill?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 496P/Hill from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 496P/Hill's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 496P/Hill's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 496P/Hill's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet 496P/Hill orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet 496P/Hill with respect to the major Solar System objects.