Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is in the constellation of
Scorpius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Oshakati, Namibia (all times relative to the local timezone Africa/Windhoek):
- 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is above the horizon from Oshakati, Namibia.
- Right now it is placed in the East-South-East direction at an altitude of 38.59° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to Earth happens on Fri Nov 12 2021 at a distance of 0.418168 Astronomical Units, or 62,556,975 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, 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 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at epoch 09 October 2015 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457305.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.64090813 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 7.04029491° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.24326564 AU 185,989,893 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.68123334 AU 849,900,412 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.46224949 AU 517,945,153 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.4424 years 2,353.0761 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2015-Aug-13 02:07:40 2,457,247.5887 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2022-Jan-21 03:57 2,459,600.6647 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 12.798249734157° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 50.135573804414° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 8.8599274187588° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15299123°/day |
View Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 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 28 | 16h 05m 07s | -23° 02’ 56” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 May 29 | 16h 04m 27s | -23° 01’ 18” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 May 30 | 16h 03m 47s | -22° 59’ 39” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 May 31 | 16h 03m 08s | -22° 58’ 00” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 16h 02m 28s | -22° 56’ 19” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 16h 01m 48s | -22° 54’ 38” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 16h 01m 09s | -22° 52’ 56” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 16h 00m 30s | -22° 51’ 14” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 15h 59m 51s | -22° 49’ 31” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 15h 59m 12s | -22° 47’ 48” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 15h 58m 34s | -22° 46’ 04” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 15h 57m 56s | -22° 44’ 21” | 21.88 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 15h 57m 18s | -22° 42’ 37” | 21.89 | Scorpius |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 15h 56m 40s | -22° 40’ 53” | 21.89 | Scorpius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko?: Key information on locating Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with respect to the major Solar System objects.