Comet 68P/Klemola
Comet 68P/Klemola is in the constellation of
Leo,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 68P/Klemola is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 68P/Klemola?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 68P/Klemola 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 68P/Klemola from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 68P/Klemola is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-West direction at an altitude of 45.81° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 68P/Klemola is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 68P/Klemola from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 68P/Klemola 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 68P/Klemola 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 68P/Klemola to Earth happens on Thu Aug 14 2081 at a distance of 1.062222 Astronomical Units, or 158,906,194 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 68P/Klemola, 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 68P/Klemola at epoch 05 March 2016 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457453.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.64034454 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 11.18434036° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.76206014 AU 263,600,445 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
8.03654058 AU 1,202,249,361 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.89930036 AU 732,924,903 km |
| Orbital period | period |
10.8445 years 3,960.9515 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2019-Nov-11 19:47:30 2,458,799.3247 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2030-Sep-15 18:37 2,462,760.2762 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 153.83578295541° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 175.29971061525° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 237.68169437253° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.09088725°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 68P/Klemola in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 68P/Klemola 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 06 | 09h 29m 29s | +09° 24’ 51” | 26.39 | Leo |
| 2025 May 07 | 09h 29m 33s | +09° 25’ 29” | 26.39 | Leo |
| 2025 May 08 | 09h 29m 38s | +09° 26’ 04” | 26.40 | Leo |
| 2025 May 09 | 09h 29m 43s | +09° 26’ 37” | 26.40 | Leo |
| 2025 May 10 | 09h 29m 48s | +09° 27’ 07” | 26.41 | Leo |
| 2025 May 11 | 09h 29m 54s | +09° 27’ 35” | 26.41 | Leo |
| 2025 May 12 | 09h 30m 00s | +09° 27’ 59” | 26.42 | Leo |
| 2025 May 13 | 09h 30m 07s | +09° 28’ 22” | 26.42 | Leo |
| 2025 May 14 | 09h 30m 14s | +09° 28’ 43” | 26.43 | Leo |
| 2025 May 15 | 09h 30m 22s | +09° 29’ 01” | 26.43 | Leo |
| 2025 May 16 | 09h 30m 30s | +09° 29’ 17” | 26.43 | Leo |
| 2025 May 17 | 09h 30m 38s | +09° 29’ 30” | 26.44 | Leo |
| 2025 May 18 | 09h 30m 47s | +09° 29’ 40” | 26.44 | Leo |
| 2025 May 19 | 09h 30m 57s | +09° 29’ 49” | 26.45 | Leo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 68P/Klemola: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com
- Where is Comet 68P/Klemola?: Key information on locating Comet 68P/Klemola in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 68P/Klemola is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 68P/Klemola?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 68P/Klemola's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 68P/Klemola's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 68P/Klemola's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 68P/Klemola orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 68P/Klemola with respect to the major Solar System objects.