Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Sky Charts and Coordinates
This is a simplified sky chart, showing where Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is now with respect to the brightest stars and constellations.
More advanced sky charts are available on TheSkyLive for this object: 1) the Online Planetarium which is interactive and allows to select dates and additional objects to visualize; and 2) the Live Position and Data Tracker which provides the highest precision position data and features deep sky imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey.
High Precision Live Sky Chart
The Observed Magnitude and Coma Diameter values are derived from the Comet Observers Database by averaging the values reported in recent observations (more recent than 4 days), when available. The Estimated Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behvior of comets. When available please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Estimated 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.
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Rise and Set Times
Today's Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]. All times are relative to the Europe/London timezone.
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Orbit Diagram
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
View Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 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. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Dec 09 | 16h 14m 11s | -22° 37’ 46” | 23.68 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 10 | 16h 14m 57s | -22° 39’ 57” | 23.68 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 11 | 16h 15m 43s | -22° 42’ 07” | 23.68 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 12 | 16h 16m 31s | -22° 44’ 17” | 23.67 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 13 | 16h 17m 17s | -22° 46’ 24” | 23.67 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 14 | 16h 18m 03s | -22° 48’ 32” | 23.67 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 15 | 16h 18m 51s | -22° 50’ 38” | 23.67 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 16 | 16h 19m 36s | -22° 52’ 44” | 23.67 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 17 | 16h 20m 22s | -22° 54’ 47” | 23.66 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 18 | 16h 21m 08s | -22° 56’ 52” | 23.66 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 19 | 16h 21m 56s | -22° 58’ 54” | 23.66 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 20 | 16h 22m 41s | -23° 00’ 56” | 23.66 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 21 | 16h 23m 26s | -23° 02’ 57” | 23.65 | Scorpius |
| 2018 Dec 22 | 16h 24m 12s | -23° 04’ 56” | 23.65 | Ophiucus |
Distance of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Earth
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Earth as a function of time. Distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with a 2 days interval.
The reported distances might be inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Light Curve of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
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.
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at epoch 23 October 2010 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455493.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.64058474 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 7.04369869° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.24527937 AU 186,291,142 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.68419467 AU 850,343,421 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.46473702 AU 518,317,281 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.4500 years 2,355.6125 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2009-Feb-28 12:42:25 2,454,891.0295 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2015-Aug-12 03:24 2,457,246.6419 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 12.694464049062° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 50.180001144376° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 92.073462245369° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15282650°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2021-Nov-12 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 0.41819431 AU 62,560,978 km |
|
* NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed for the time interval between 2013-Jan-01 and 2075-Dec-31, with a sampling interval of 1 day.