Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan
Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan is in the constellation of
Ophiuchus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan 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 62P/Tsuchinshan from Babylon, United States (all times relative to the local timezone America/New_York):
- 62P/Tsuchinshan is below the horizon from Babylon, United States.
- Given its current magnitude, 62P/Tsuchinshan is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan 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 62P/Tsuchinshan 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 62P/Tsuchinshan to Earth happens on Sun Jan 25 2088 at a distance of 0.409429 Astronomical Units, or 61,249,726 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 62P/Tsuchinshan, 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 62P/Tsuchinshan at epoch 24 October 2017 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458051.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.59747740 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.70777531° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.38380480 AU 207,014,253 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.49185789 AU 821,570,248 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.43783135 AU 514,292,250 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.3743 years 2,328.2268 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2017-Nov-16 02:53:12 2,458,073.6203 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2024-Apr-01 08:19 2,460,401.8470 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 30.348667022866° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 90.244520033111° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 356.57967149486° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15462411°/day |
View Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan 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 27 | 17h 47m 47s | -24° 49’ 02” | 25.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 28 | 17h 46m 59s | -24° 49’ 24” | 25.19 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 29 | 17h 46m 10s | -24° 49’ 45” | 25.19 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 30 | 17h 45m 22s | -24° 50’ 03” | 25.20 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 31 | 17h 44m 32s | -24° 50’ 21” | 25.20 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 17h 43m 43s | -24° 50’ 37” | 25.21 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 17h 42m 53s | -24° 50’ 52” | 25.22 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 17h 42m 02s | -24° 51’ 05” | 25.22 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 17h 41m 12s | -24° 51’ 16” | 25.23 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 17h 40m 21s | -24° 51’ 25” | 25.24 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 17h 39m 30s | -24° 51’ 32” | 25.24 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 17h 38m 38s | -24° 51’ 39” | 25.25 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 17h 37m 47s | -24° 51’ 43” | 25.26 | Ophiuchus |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 17h 36m 55s | -24° 51’ 46” | 25.26 | Ophiuchus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan?: Key information on locating Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan with respect to the major Solar System objects.