Comet 88P/Howell
Comet 88P/Howell is in the constellation of
Leo,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
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 direction at an altitude of 20.33° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 88P/Howell 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.
Finder Charts
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.
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 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 88P/Howell to Earth happens on Mon Jun 2 2042 at a distance of 0.766150 Astronomical Units, or 114,614,422 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 26 March 2016 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457474.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.56309441 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 4.38310084° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.35819687 AU 203,183,361 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.85915037 AU 726,918,550 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.10867362 AU 465,050,956 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.4811 years 2,001.9864 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2015-Apr-06 05:18:10 2,457,118.7210 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2020-Sep-28 04:58 2,459,120.7073 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 235.89373091172° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 56.697598516849° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 63.976687455778° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.17982140°/day |
Orbit Visualization
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 09 | 10h 04m 15s | +15° 38’ 50” | 21.18 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 10 | 10h 05m 14s | +15° 33’ 45” | 21.17 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 11 | 10h 06m 14s | +15° 28’ 40” | 21.16 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 12 | 10h 07m 13s | +15° 23’ 36” | 21.16 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 13 | 10h 08m 12s | +15° 18’ 30” | 21.15 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 14 | 10h 09m 11s | +15° 13’ 26” | 21.14 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 15 | 10h 10m 09s | +15° 08’ 23” | 21.14 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 16 | 10h 11m 08s | +15° 03’ 19” | 21.13 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 17 | 10h 12m 07s | +14° 58’ 15” | 21.12 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 18 | 10h 13m 05s | +14° 53’ 11” | 21.11 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 19 | 10h 14m 02s | +14° 48’ 08” | 21.11 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 20 | 10h 15m 01s | +14° 43’ 05” | 21.10 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 21 | 10h 15m 59s | +14° 38’ 02” | 21.09 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 22 | 10h 16m 57s | +14° 32’ 59” | 21.08 | Leo |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 88P/Howell?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 88P/Howell from Earth?)
- When does Comet 88P/Howell rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 88P/Howell?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 88P/Howell orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 88P/Howell with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 88P/Howell for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 88P/Howell in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 88P/Howell with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.