Comet 71P/Clark
Comet 71P/Clark is in the constellation of
Taurus,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
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 Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 71P/Clark is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the West-South-West direction at an altitude of 41.84° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 71P/Clark 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.
Finder Charts
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.
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 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 71P/Clark to Earth happens on Sun Jun 11 2017 at a distance of 0.589846 Astronomical Units, or 88,239,685 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 21 January 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458140.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.49442254 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.44523607° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.58622783 AU 237,296,306 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.68868724 AU 701,417,630 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.13745753 AU 469,356,968 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.5574 years 2,029.8559 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2017-Jun-30 05:14:39 2,457,934.7185 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2023-Jan-20 01:47 2,459,964.5744 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 208.92387872794° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 59.445278678459° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 36.495858534825° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.17735249°/day |
Orbit Visualization
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 06 | 04h 38m 15s | +21° 35’ 35” | 22.66 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 07 | 04h 38m 30s | +21° 36’ 54” | 22.66 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 08 | 04h 38m 45s | +21° 38’ 12” | 22.66 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 09 | 04h 38m 58s | +21° 39’ 28” | 22.66 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 10 | 04h 39m 11s | +21° 40’ 44” | 22.65 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 11 | 04h 39m 22s | +21° 41’ 56” | 22.65 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 12 | 04h 39m 33s | +21° 43’ 08” | 22.65 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 13 | 04h 39m 42s | +21° 44’ 18” | 22.64 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 14 | 04h 39m 50s | +21° 45’ 26” | 22.64 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 15 | 04h 39m 58s | +21° 46’ 32” | 22.64 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 16 | 04h 40m 04s | +21° 47’ 38” | 22.64 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 17 | 04h 40m 09s | +21° 48’ 41” | 22.63 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 18 | 04h 40m 14s | +21° 49’ 42” | 22.63 | Taurus |
| 2024 Sep 19 | 04h 40m 17s | +21° 50’ 42” | 22.63 | Taurus |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 71P/Clark?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 71P/Clark from Earth?)
- When does Comet 71P/Clark rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 71P/Clark?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 71P/Clark orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 71P/Clark with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 71P/Clark for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 71P/Clark in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 71P/Clark with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.