Comet 66P/du Toit
Comet 66P/du Toit is in the constellation of
Auriga,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 66P/du Toit is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 66P/du Toit?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 66P/du Toit 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 66P/du Toit from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 66P/du Toit is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East direction at an altitude of 52.52° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 66P/du Toit is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 66P/du Toit from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 66P/du Toit 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 66P/du Toit 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 66P/du Toit to Earth happens on Fri May 18 2018 at a distance of 0.896003 Astronomical Units, or 134,040,105 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 66P/du Toit, 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 66P/du Toit at epoch 30 October 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456961.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.78656817 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 18.66897133° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.28545145 AU 192,300,800 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
10.76009448 AU 1,609,687,226 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
6.02277296 AU 900,994,013 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.7810 years 5,398.7494 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2018-May-20 11:15:17 2,458,258.9689 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2033-Mar-01 05:14 2,463,657.7183 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 257.34273411042° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 21.999850955098° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 273.48203248283° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06668211°/day |
View Comet 66P/du Toit in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 66P/du Toit 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 | 06h 15m 45s | +40° 12’ 09” | 28.25 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 17 | 06h 16m 09s | +40° 11’ 11” | 28.25 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 18 | 06h 16m 34s | +40° 10’ 14” | 28.25 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 19 | 06h 16m 59s | +40° 09’ 19” | 28.26 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 20 | 06h 17m 24s | +40° 08’ 24” | 28.26 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 21 | 06h 17m 50s | +40° 07’ 30” | 28.26 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 22 | 06h 18m 15s | +40° 06’ 36” | 28.26 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 23 | 06h 18m 41s | +40° 05’ 44” | 28.26 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 24 | 06h 19m 07s | +40° 04’ 53” | 28.26 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 25 | 06h 19m 33s | +40° 04’ 02” | 28.27 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 26 | 06h 20m 00s | +40° 03’ 12” | 28.27 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 27 | 06h 20m 26s | +40° 02’ 23” | 28.27 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 28 | 06h 20m 53s | +40° 01’ 35” | 28.27 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 29 | 06h 21m 20s | +40° 00’ 48” | 28.27 | Auriga |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 66P/du Toit: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 66P/du Toit?: Key information on locating Comet 66P/du Toit in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 66P/du Toit is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 66P/du Toit?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 66P/du Toit's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 66P/du Toit's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 66P/du Toit's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 66P/du Toit orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 66P/du Toit with respect to the major Solar System objects.