Comet 96P/Machholz
Comet 96P/Machholz is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 96P/Machholz is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 96P/Machholz?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 96P/Machholz 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 96P/Machholz from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 96P/Machholz is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 96P/Machholz is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 96P/Machholz from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 96P/Machholz 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 96P/Machholz 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 96P/Machholz to Earth happens on Fri Jun 16 2028 at a distance of 0.319896 Astronomical Units, or 47,855,756 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 96P/Machholz, 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 96P/Machholz at epoch 16 February 2009 00:00 UTC (JD: 2454879.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.95913614 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 58.33965101° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.12391231 AU 18,537,017 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.94072730 AU 888,720,156 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.03231980 AU 453,628,586 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.2804 years 1,928.6833 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2007-Apr-05 10:28:58 2,454,195.9368 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2012-Jul-16 02:52 2,456,124.6201 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 14.766151892952° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 94.310553881627° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 127.59106252743° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18665584°/day |
View Comet 96P/Machholz in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 96P/Machholz 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 16 | 19h 33m 05s | -34° 11’ 26” | 24.21 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 17 | 19h 32m 38s | -34° 15’ 03” | 24.20 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 18 | 19h 32m 10s | -34° 18’ 41” | 24.20 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 19 | 19h 31m 41s | -34° 22’ 19” | 24.19 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 20 | 19h 31m 11s | -34° 25’ 58” | 24.19 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 21 | 19h 30m 41s | -34° 29’ 37” | 24.19 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 22 | 19h 30m 09s | -34° 33’ 17” | 24.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 23 | 19h 29m 37s | -34° 36’ 56” | 24.18 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 24 | 19h 29m 03s | -34° 40’ 35” | 24.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 25 | 19h 28m 30s | -34° 44’ 14” | 24.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 26 | 19h 27m 55s | -34° 47’ 54” | 24.17 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 27 | 19h 27m 19s | -34° 51’ 33” | 24.16 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 28 | 19h 26m 42s | -34° 55’ 11” | 24.16 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 29 | 19h 26m 05s | -34° 58’ 48” | 24.16 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 96P/Machholz: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 96P/Machholz?: Key information on locating Comet 96P/Machholz in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 96P/Machholz is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 96P/Machholz?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 96P/Machholz's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 96P/Machholz's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 96P/Machholz's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 96P/Machholz orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 96P/Machholz with respect to the major Solar System objects.