Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is currently in the constellation of Taurus, at a distance of 818,729,762 kilometers from Earth.
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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.
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom .
- Right now it is placed in the South-East direction at an altitude of 50° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Position and Finder Charts
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Field of view: 60x40 arcmins
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Also check out Where is Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth is currently 818,729,762 kilometers, equivalent to 5.472870 Astronomical Units. Light takes 45 minutes and 30.9885 seconds to travel from Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann to Earth happens on Wed Aug 5 2048 at a distance of 0.115627 Astronomical Units, or 17,297,528 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, 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 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Apr 20 | 04h 05m 39s | +20° 57’ 52” | 29.57 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 21 | 04h 06m 30s | +21° 00’ 46” | 29.58 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 22 | 04h 07m 22s | +21° 03’ 38” | 29.58 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 23 | 04h 08m 12s | +21° 06’ 30” | 29.59 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 24 | 04h 09m 05s | +21° 09’ 23” | 29.60 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 25 | 04h 09m 56s | +21° 12’ 14” | 29.61 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 26 | 04h 10m 49s | +21° 15’ 03” | 29.61 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 27 | 04h 11m 40s | +21° 17’ 53” | 29.62 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 28 | 04h 12m 33s | +21° 20’ 43” | 29.63 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 29 | 04h 13m 26s | +21° 23’ 30” | 29.63 | Taurus |
| 2024 Apr 30 | 04h 14m 18s | +21° 26’ 17” | 29.64 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 01 | 04h 15m 11s | +21° 29’ 04” | 29.65 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 02 | 04h 16m 05s | +21° 31’ 50” | 29.65 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 03 | 04h 16m 58s | +21° 34’ 36” | 29.66 | Taurus |