Comet 65P/Gunn
Comet 65P/Gunn is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 65P/Gunn is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 65P/Gunn?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 65P/Gunn 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 65P/Gunn from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 65P/Gunn is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 65P/Gunn is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 65P/Gunn from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 65P/Gunn 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 65P/Gunn 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 65P/Gunn to Earth happens on Sat Jun 28 2003 at a distance of 1.455606 Astronomical Units, or 217,755,551 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 65P/Gunn, 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 65P/Gunn at epoch 04 January 2020 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458853.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.24998584 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.18417504° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.91243893 AU 435,694,663 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.85391827 AU 726,135,839 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.88317860 AU 580,915,251 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.6523 years 2,794.9850 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2017-Oct-17 14:51:22 2,458,044.1190 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2025-Jun-12 14:29 2,460,839.1040 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 213.74047112081° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 62.020907620446° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 104.24999100835° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.12880212°/day |
View Comet 65P/Gunn in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 65P/Gunn 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 16 | 19h 02m 25s | -28° 16’ 50” | 15.99 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 17 | 19h 02m 24s | -28° 20’ 59” | 15.98 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 18 | 19h 02m 22s | -28° 25’ 11” | 15.97 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 19 | 19h 02m 18s | -28° 29’ 25” | 15.96 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 20 | 19h 02m 12s | -28° 33’ 42” | 15.95 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 21 | 19h 02m 05s | -28° 38’ 01” | 15.94 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 22 | 19h 01m 57s | -28° 42’ 23” | 15.93 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 23 | 19h 01m 47s | -28° 46’ 47” | 15.92 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 24 | 19h 01m 35s | -28° 51’ 12” | 15.91 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 25 | 19h 01m 22s | -28° 55’ 39” | 15.90 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 26 | 19h 01m 08s | -29° 00’ 09” | 15.90 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 27 | 19h 00m 52s | -29° 04’ 40” | 15.89 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 28 | 19h 00m 35s | -29° 09’ 11” | 15.88 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 29 | 19h 00m 16s | -29° 13’ 45” | 15.87 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 65P/Gunn: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 65P/Gunn?: Key information on locating Comet 65P/Gunn in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 65P/Gunn is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 65P/Gunn?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 65P/Gunn's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 65P/Gunn's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 65P/Gunn's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 65P/Gunn orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 65P/Gunn with respect to the major Solar System objects.