Comet 88P/Howell
Comet 88P/Howell is in the constellation of
Leo,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 88P/Howell is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 88P/Howell?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 88P/Howell 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 88P/Howell from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 88P/Howell is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East-South-East direction at an altitude of 40.60° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 88P/Howell is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 88P/Howell from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 88P/Howell 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 88P/Howell 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 88P/Howell to Earth happens on Tue Jun 3 2042 at a distance of 0.765011 Astronomical Units, or 114,443,960 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 88P/Howell, 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 88P/Howell at epoch 04 June 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458274.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.56379173 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 4.38385956° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.35519378 AU 202,734,104 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.85832340 AU 726,794,837 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.10675859 AU 464,764,470 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.4761 years 2,000.1367 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2020-Sep-26 19:34:10 2,459,119.3154 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2026-Mar-19 22:51 2,461,119.4521 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 235.85288188653° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 56.701921165886° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 207.94362350387° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.17998769°/day |
View Comet 88P/Howell in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 88P/Howell 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 15 | 10h 20m 00s | +15° 08’ 36” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 16 | 10h 20m 16s | +15° 05’ 20” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 17 | 10h 20m 33s | +15° 01’ 57” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 18 | 10h 20m 51s | +14° 58’ 28” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 19 | 10h 21m 10s | +14° 54’ 53” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 20 | 10h 21m 31s | +14° 51’ 12” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 21 | 10h 21m 52s | +14° 47’ 23” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 22 | 10h 22m 16s | +14° 43’ 29” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 23 | 10h 22m 40s | +14° 39’ 30” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 24 | 10h 23m 05s | +14° 35’ 23” | 18.75 | Leo |
| 2025 May 25 | 10h 23m 32s | +14° 31’ 11” | 18.74 | Leo |
| 2025 May 26 | 10h 23m 59s | +14° 26’ 52” | 18.74 | Leo |
| 2025 May 27 | 10h 24m 28s | +14° 22’ 28” | 18.74 | Leo |
| 2025 May 28 | 10h 24m 58s | +14° 17’ 58” | 18.74 | Leo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 88P/Howell: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 88P/Howell?: Key information on locating Comet 88P/Howell in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 88P/Howell is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 88P/Howell?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 88P/Howell's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 88P/Howell's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 88P/Howell's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 88P/Howell orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 88P/Howell with respect to the major Solar System objects.