Comet 81P/Wild
Comet 81P/Wild is in the constellation of Aquarius, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 81P/Wild in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet 81P/Wild against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial 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
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet 81P/Wild from Heshan, China (all times relative to the local timezone Asia/Shanghai):
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
The distance of comet 81P/Wild from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 81P/Wild from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 81P/Wild from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet 81P/Wild to Earth will happen on Sunday 6 April 2042 at a distance of 0.655769 Astronomical Units, or 98,101,710 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet 81P/Wild, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet 81P/Wild at epoch November, 20 2019 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458808.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.53739891 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 3.23700417° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.59585607 AU 238,736,671 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.30363508 AU 793,412,517 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.44974558 AU 516,074,594 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.4075 years 2,340.3404 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | December 15, 2022 2,459,929.2846 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | May 13, 2029 2,462,269.6250 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 41.725230851144° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 136.11022085006° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 187.59668142321° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15382378°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 81P/Wild relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet 81P/Wild 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27 2025 | 23h 45m 32s | -03° 18’ 00” | 22.11 | Aquarius |
| Jun 28 2025 | 23h 45m 37s | -03° 17’ 57” | 22.11 | Aquarius |
| Jun 29 2025 | 23h 45m 42s | -03° 18’ 00” | 22.10 | Aquarius |
| Jun 30 2025 | 23h 45m 46s | -03° 18’ 07” | 22.10 | Aquarius |
| Jul 01 2025 | 23h 45m 49s | -03° 18’ 18” | 22.09 | Aquarius |
| Jul 02 2025 | 23h 45m 52s | -03° 18’ 35” | 22.09 | Aquarius |
| Jul 03 2025 | 23h 45m 54s | -03° 18’ 56” | 22.08 | Aquarius |
| Jul 04 2025 | 23h 45m 55s | -03° 19’ 21” | 22.08 | Aquarius |
| Jul 05 2025 | 23h 45m 55s | -03° 19’ 52” | 22.07 | Aquarius |
| Jul 06 2025 | 23h 45m 55s | -03° 20’ 27” | 22.07 | Aquarius |
| Jul 07 2025 | 23h 45m 54s | -03° 21’ 07” | 22.06 | Aquarius |
| Jul 08 2025 | 23h 45m 52s | -03° 21’ 52” | 22.06 | Aquarius |
| Jul 09 2025 | 23h 45m 49s | -03° 22’ 41” | 22.05 | Aquarius |
| Jul 10 2025 | 23h 45m 46s | -03° 23’ 36” | 22.05 | Aquarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 81P/Wild: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 81P/Wild?: Key information on where to find comet 81P/Wild in the sky.
- Distance of comet 81P/Wild from Earth: Find out how far comet 81P/Wild is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 81P/Wild?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 81P/Wild from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 81P/Wild's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 81P/Wild's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 81P/Wild's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet 81P/Wild orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet 81P/Wild with respect to the major Solar System objects.