Comet 71P/Clark
Comet 71P/Clark is in the constellation of
Taurus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 71P/Clark is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 71P/Clark?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 71P/Clark 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 71P/Clark from Minneapolis, United States (all times relative to the local timezone America/Chicago):
- 71P/Clark is below the horizon from Minneapolis, United States.
- Given its current magnitude, 71P/Clark is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 71P/Clark from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 71P/Clark 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 71P/Clark 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 71P/Clark to Earth happens on Tue Jun 27 2006 at a distance of 0.585364 Astronomical Units, or 87,569,244 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 71P/Clark, 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 71P/Clark at epoch 31 May 2019 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458635.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.49450343 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.44449059° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.58667659 AU 237,363,440 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.69101815 AU 701,766,329 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.13884737 AU 469,564,885 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.5611 years 2,031.2049 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2017-Jun-30 08:48:25 2,457,934.8670 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2023-Jan-21 13:43 2,459,966.0718 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 208.96965623934° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 59.44353715572° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 124.17649209947° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.17723471°/day |
View Comet 71P/Clark in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 71P/Clark 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 22 | 04h 50m 23s | +24° 48’ 50” | 24.30 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 23 | 04h 51m 23s | +24° 50’ 55” | 24.31 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 24 | 04h 52m 22s | +24° 52’ 59” | 24.31 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 25 | 04h 53m 22s | +24° 55’ 02” | 24.31 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 26 | 04h 54m 22s | +24° 57’ 04” | 24.32 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 27 | 04h 55m 22s | +24° 59’ 05” | 24.32 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 28 | 04h 56m 22s | +25° 01’ 04” | 24.32 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 29 | 04h 57m 23s | +25° 03’ 03” | 24.33 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 30 | 04h 58m 23s | +25° 05’ 01” | 24.33 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 31 | 04h 59m 23s | +25° 06’ 57” | 24.33 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 05h 00m 24s | +25° 08’ 53” | 24.33 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 05h 01m 24s | +25° 10’ 47” | 24.34 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 05h 02m 24s | +25° 12’ 39” | 24.34 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 05h 03m 25s | +25° 14’ 32” | 24.34 | Taurus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 71P/Clark: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 71P/Clark?: Key information on locating Comet 71P/Clark in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 71P/Clark is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 71P/Clark?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 71P/Clark's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 71P/Clark's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 71P/Clark's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 71P/Clark orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 71P/Clark with respect to the major Solar System objects.