Comet 81P/Wild
Comet 81P/Wild is in the constellation of
Aquarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 81P/Wild is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 81P/Wild?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 81P/Wild 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 81P/Wild from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 81P/Wild is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 81P/Wild is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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 chart shows the distance of Comet 81P/Wild 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 81P/Wild 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 81P/Wild to Earth happens on Sun Apr 6 2042 at a distance of 0.655769 Astronomical Units, or 98,101,710 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 81P/Wild, 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 81P/Wild at epoch 20 November 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 | 2022-Dec-15 18:49:47 2,459,929.2846 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2029-May-13 02:59 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 |
View Comet 81P/Wild in the 3D Solar System Simulator
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 26 | 23h 37m 00s | -03° 57’ 25” | 22.25 | Aquarius |
| 2025 May 27 | 23h 37m 25s | -03° 55’ 10” | 22.25 | Aquarius |
| 2025 May 28 | 23h 37m 49s | -03° 52’ 59” | 22.25 | Aquarius |
| 2025 May 29 | 23h 38m 13s | -03° 50’ 51” | 22.24 | Aquarius |
| 2025 May 30 | 23h 38m 37s | -03° 48’ 47” | 22.24 | Aquarius |
| 2025 May 31 | 23h 39m 00s | -03° 46’ 46” | 22.23 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 23h 39m 22s | -03° 44’ 50” | 22.23 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 23h 39m 44s | -03° 42’ 56” | 22.23 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 23h 40m 05s | -03° 41’ 07” | 22.22 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 23h 40m 26s | -03° 39’ 21” | 22.22 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 23h 40m 46s | -03° 37’ 40” | 22.21 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 23h 41m 06s | -03° 36’ 03” | 22.21 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 23h 41m 25s | -03° 34’ 29” | 22.21 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 23h 41m 43s | -03° 33’ 00” | 22.20 | Aquarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 81P/Wild: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 81P/Wild?: Key information on locating Comet 81P/Wild in the sky.
- Distance 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: Comet 81P/Wild's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 81P/Wild's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with 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.