Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck
Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck is in the constellation of Cancer, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck 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 53P/Van Biesbroeck 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 53P/Van Biesbroeck from Fuvahmulah, Maldives (all times relative to the local timezone Indian/Maldives):
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 53P/Van Biesbroeck from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck 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 53P/Van Biesbroeck 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 53P/Van Biesbroeck to Earth will happen on Tuesday 31 July 2091 at a distance of 0.904126 Astronomical Units, or 135,255,334 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 53P/Van Biesbroeck, 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 53P/Van Biesbroeck at epoch August, 16 2011 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455790.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.55105953 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.61118154° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.42633019 AU 362,973,831 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
8.38280984 AU 1,254,050,505 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.40457001 AU 808,512,168 km |
| Orbital period | period |
12.5646 years 4,589.2334 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | April 30, 2016 2,457,509.3143 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | November 23, 2028 2,462,098.5477 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 134.26401284642° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 148.89819728366° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 225.16851702969° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.07844447°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck 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 53P/Van Biesbroeck 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 09 2025 | 08h 55m 59s | +15° 51’ 31” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 10 2025 | 08h 56m 33s | +15° 49’ 27” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 11 2025 | 08h 57m 08s | +15° 47’ 21” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 12 2025 | 08h 57m 42s | +15° 45’ 15” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 13 2025 | 08h 58m 17s | +15° 43’ 07” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 14 2025 | 08h 58m 52s | +15° 40’ 58” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 15 2025 | 08h 59m 27s | +15° 38’ 48” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 16 2025 | 09h 00m 03s | +15° 36’ 37” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 17 2025 | 09h 00m 38s | +15° 34’ 25” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 18 2025 | 09h 01m 13s | +15° 32’ 12” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 19 2025 | 09h 01m 49s | +15° 29’ 57” | 22.84 | Cancer |
| Jul 20 2025 | 09h 02m 25s | +15° 27’ 42” | 22.83 | Cancer |
| Jul 21 2025 | 09h 03m 00s | +15° 25’ 25” | 22.83 | Cancer |
| Jul 22 2025 | 09h 03m 36s | +15° 23’ 08” | 22.83 | Cancer |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck?: Key information on where to find comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck in the sky.
- Distance of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck from Earth: Find out how far comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck with respect to the major Solar System objects.