Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle
Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle is in the constellation of
Libra,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle 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 55P/Tempel-Tuttle from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 55P/Tempel-Tuttle is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 55P/Tempel-Tuttle is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle 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 55P/Tempel-Tuttle 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 55P/Tempel-Tuttle to Earth happens on Sun Jan 25 2065 at a distance of 0.404270 Astronomical Units, or 60,477,952 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 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, 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 55P/Tempel-Tuttle at epoch 14 August 1998 00:00 UTC (JD: 2451040.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.90555272 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 162.48657538° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.97642792 AU 146,071,537 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
19.70024854 AU 2,947,115,240 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
10.33833823 AU 1,546,593,389 km |
| Orbital period | period |
33.2418 years 12,141.5612 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 1998-Feb-28 02:20:44 2,450,872.5977 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2031-May-27 15:48 2,463,014.1589 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 172.50027368281° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 235.27098914908° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 4.9783396846882° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.02965022°/day |
View Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle 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 14 | 14h 59m 09s | -13° 51’ 24” | 44.22 | Libra |
| 2025 May 15 | 14h 58m 50s | -13° 49’ 55” | 44.22 | Libra |
| 2025 May 16 | 14h 58m 31s | -13° 48’ 25” | 44.21 | Libra |
| 2025 May 17 | 14h 58m 12s | -13° 46’ 57” | 44.21 | Libra |
| 2025 May 18 | 14h 57m 53s | -13° 45’ 28” | 44.21 | Libra |
| 2025 May 19 | 14h 57m 34s | -13° 44’ 01” | 44.21 | Libra |
| 2025 May 20 | 14h 57m 15s | -13° 42’ 33” | 44.20 | Libra |
| 2025 May 21 | 14h 56m 56s | -13° 41’ 06” | 44.20 | Libra |
| 2025 May 22 | 14h 56m 37s | -13° 39’ 39” | 44.20 | Libra |
| 2025 May 23 | 14h 56m 18s | -13° 38’ 13” | 44.20 | Libra |
| 2025 May 24 | 14h 55m 59s | -13° 36’ 47” | 44.19 | Libra |
| 2025 May 25 | 14h 55m 41s | -13° 35’ 22” | 44.19 | Libra |
| 2025 May 26 | 14h 55m 22s | -13° 33’ 57” | 44.19 | Libra |
| 2025 May 27 | 14h 55m 04s | -13° 32’ 33” | 44.19 | Libra |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle?: Key information on locating Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle with respect to the major Solar System objects.