Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is currently in the constellation of Taurus.
The current Right Ascension of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is 03h 45m 11s and the Declination is +17° 39’ 10” (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom ). The current estimated magnitude of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is 27.89 (JPL).
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 West-South-West direction at an altitude of 36° 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
Below we provide Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann finder charts showing where the object is right now in the sky with respect to the brightest stars. The first finder chart has a field of view of 50 degrees, while the second one has a field of view of 10 degrees. Click on each finder chart to access a full screen interactive Online Planetarium.
Field of view: 50x30 degrees
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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 467,953,177 kilometers, equivalent to 3.128074 Astronomical Units. Light takes 26 minutes and 0.9238 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 Nov 28 | 03h 51m 37s | +17° 49’ 55” | 27.83 | Taurus |
2023 Nov 29 | 03h 50m 42s | +17° 48’ 23” | 27.83 | Taurus |
2023 Nov 30 | 03h 49m 45s | +17° 46’ 50” | 27.84 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 01 | 03h 48m 51s | +17° 45’ 19” | 27.85 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 02 | 03h 47m 57s | +17° 43’ 48” | 27.86 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 03 | 03h 47m 03s | +17° 42’ 17” | 27.87 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 04 | 03h 46m 09s | +17° 40’ 49” | 27.88 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 05 | 03h 45m 16s | +17° 39’ 20” | 27.89 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 06 | 03h 44m 25s | +17° 37’ 54” | 27.90 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 07 | 03h 43m 33s | +17° 36’ 29” | 27.91 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 08 | 03h 42m 42s | +17° 35’ 07” | 27.92 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 09 | 03h 41m 53s | +17° 33’ 44” | 27.94 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 10 | 03h 41m 03s | +17° 32’ 25” | 27.95 | Taurus |
2023 Dec 11 | 03h 40m 14s | +17° 31’ 06” | 27.96 | Taurus |