Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh
Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh is in the constellation of
Taurus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh 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 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-West direction at an altitude of 55.56° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh 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 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh 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 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh to Earth happens on Tue Jul 12 2089 at a distance of 2.156889 Astronomical Units, or 322,665,956 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 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh, 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 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh at epoch 18 December 2012 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456280.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.14779485 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.65102952° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.54968359 AU 531,025,108 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.78090114 AU 715,212,632 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.16529237 AU 623,118,870 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.5011 years 3,105.0362 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2009-Jul-26 18:00:43 2,455,039.2505 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2018-Jan-25 18:52 2,458,144.2867 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 86.5671751755° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 77.084111420537° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 143.91130964299° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.11594068°/day |
View Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh 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 26 | 05h 11m 18s | +25° 26’ 36” | 20.26 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 27 | 05h 12m 21s | +25° 28’ 09” | 20.26 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 28 | 05h 13m 24s | +25° 29’ 38” | 20.26 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 29 | 05h 14m 28s | +25° 31’ 08” | 20.26 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 30 | 05h 15m 32s | +25° 32’ 37” | 20.26 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 31 | 05h 16m 35s | +25° 34’ 03” | 20.26 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 05h 17m 39s | +25° 35’ 29” | 20.27 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 05h 18m 42s | +25° 36’ 54” | 20.27 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 05h 19m 46s | +25° 38’ 17” | 20.27 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 05h 20m 50s | +25° 39’ 39” | 20.27 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 05h 21m 54s | +25° 41’ 00” | 20.27 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 05h 22m 58s | +25° 42’ 19” | 20.27 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 05h 24m 02s | +25° 43’ 38” | 20.27 | Taurus |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 05h 25m 06s | +25° 44’ 55” | 20.27 | Taurus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh?: Key information on locating Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 74P/Smirnova-Chernykh with respect to the major Solar System objects.