Comet 78P/Gehrels 2
Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 Sky Charts and Coordinates
This is a simplified sky chart, showing where Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 is now with respect to the brightest stars and constellations.
More advanced sky charts are available on TheSkyLive for this object: 1) the Online Planetarium which is interactive and allows to select dates and additional objects to visualize; and 2) the Live Position and Data Tracker which provides the highest precision position data and features deep sky imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey.
High Precision Live Sky Chart
The Observed Magnitude and Coma Diameter values are derived from the Comet Observers Database by averaging the values reported in recent observations (more recent than 4 days), when available. The Estimated Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behvior of comets. When available please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Estimated 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.
Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 Rise and Set Times
Today's Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]. All times are relative to the local timezone Europe/London.
Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 Orbit Diagram
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 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 2 in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 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 2 in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Aug 13 | 21h 47m 26s | -03° 41’ 56” | 13.68 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 14 | 21h 46m 42s | -03° 45’ 50” | 13.66 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 15 | 21h 45m 57s | -03° 49’ 51” | 13.64 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 16 | 21h 45m 14s | -03° 54’ 02” | 13.62 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 17 | 21h 44m 29s | -03° 58’ 18” | 13.61 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 18 | 21h 43m 42s | -04° 02’ 43” | 13.59 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 19 | 21h 42m 57s | -04° 07’ 14” | 13.57 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 20 | 21h 42m 11s | -04° 11’ 50” | 13.56 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 21 | 21h 41m 26s | -04° 16’ 33” | 13.54 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 22 | 21h 40m 41s | -04° 21’ 23” | 13.53 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 23 | 21h 39m 55s | -04° 26’ 17” | 13.51 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 24 | 21h 39m 08s | -04° 31’ 18” | 13.50 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 25 | 21h 38m 24s | -04° 36’ 23” | 13.48 | Aquarius |
| 2018 Aug 26 | 21h 37m 37s | -04° 41’ 32” | 13.47 | Aquarius |
Distance of Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 from Earth
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 from Earth as a function of time. Distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with a 2 days interval.
The reported distances might be inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of 78P/Gehrels 2 is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Light Curve of Comet 78P/Gehrels 2
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 78P/Gehrels 2, 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 2 Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 78P/Gehrels 2 at epoch 22 May 2008 00:00 UTC (JD: 2454609.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.46155051 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.25252035° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.01129937 AU 300,886,103 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.45940835 AU 816,715,865 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.73535386 AU 558,800,984 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.2200 years 2,636.9145 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2004-Oct-25 14:25:55 2,453,304.1013 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2012-Jan-14 12:22 2,455,941.0159 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 192.91845325257° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 210.54433769831° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 178.21719817507° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.13652320°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2026-Dec-31 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 1.55891106 AU 233,209,776 km |
|
* NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed for the time interval between 2013-Jan-01 and 2075-Dec-31, with a sampling interval of 1 day.