Comet 78P/Gehrels
Comet 78P/Gehrels is currently in the constellation of Ophiucus, at a distance of 609,159,800 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 78P/Gehrels from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 78P/Gehrels is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom .
- Given its current magnitude, 78P/Gehrels is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 78P/Gehrels 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 78P/Gehrels is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 78P/Gehrels?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 78P/Gehrels in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 78P/Gehrels Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 78P/Gehrels from Earth is currently 609,159,800 kilometers, equivalent to 4.071982 Astronomical Units. Light takes 33 minutes and 51.9384 seconds to travel from Comet 78P/Gehrels and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 78P/Gehrels 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 78P/Gehrels from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 78P/Gehrels to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 78P/Gehrels to Earth happens on Thu Dec 31 2026 at a distance of 1.558245 Astronomical Units, or 233,110,168 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 78P/Gehrels Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 78P/Gehrels, 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 78P/Gehrels Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 78P/Gehrels at epoch 25 November 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456987.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.46163737 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.25269651° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.01153655 AU 300,921,585 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.46125761 AU 816,992,511 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.73639708 AU 558,957,048 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.2225 years 2,638.0193 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2012-Jan-12 02:31:06 2,455,938.6049 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2019-Apr-03 02:58 2,458,576.6242 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 192.75585994643° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 210.56267575334° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 143.13853885266° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.13646602°/day |
Visualization of Comet 78P/Gehrels Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 78P/Gehrels with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 78P/Gehrels and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
View Comet 78P/Gehrels in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 78P/Gehrels 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 78P/Gehrels computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 78P/Gehrels in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Apr 20 | 17h 38m 47s | -18° 15’ 41” | 21.17 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 21 | 17h 38m 35s | -18° 14’ 12” | 21.16 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 22 | 17h 38m 24s | -18° 12’ 44” | 21.15 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 23 | 17h 38m 11s | -18° 11’ 17” | 21.14 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 24 | 17h 37m 57s | -18° 09’ 47” | 21.13 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 25 | 17h 37m 41s | -18° 08’ 18” | 21.12 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 26 | 17h 37m 26s | -18° 06’ 48” | 21.10 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 27 | 17h 37m 09s | -18° 05’ 18” | 21.09 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 28 | 17h 36m 51s | -18° 03’ 48” | 21.08 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 29 | 17h 36m 33s | -18° 02’ 18” | 21.07 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Apr 30 | 17h 36m 14s | -18° 00’ 47” | 21.06 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 May 01 | 17h 35m 53s | -17° 59’ 17” | 21.05 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 May 02 | 17h 35m 33s | -17° 57’ 47” | 21.04 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 May 03 | 17h 35m 11s | -17° 56’ 14” | 21.03 | Ophiucus |