Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)
Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) is in the constellation of
Eridanus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) 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 C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-East direction at an altitude of 28.14° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) 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 C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) 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 C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) to Earth happens on Mon Dec 12 2016 at a distance of 0.709002 Astronomical Units, or 106,065,204 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 C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE), 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 C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) at epoch 11 December 2016 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457734.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00025297 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 46.43483258° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.31916965 AU 47,747,100 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2017-Jan-14 00:24:03 2,457,767.5167 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 162.74827034161° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 61.428520744735° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.00072613145388743° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00002199°/day |
View Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) 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 31 | 02h 59m 13s | -04° 58’ 17” | 36.64 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 02h 59m 22s | -04° 57’ 59” | 36.64 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 02h 59m 30s | -04° 57’ 43” | 36.64 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 02h 59m 39s | -04° 57’ 26” | 36.64 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 02h 59m 48s | -04° 57’ 11” | 36.64 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 02h 59m 56s | -04° 56’ 57” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 03h 00m 05s | -04° 56’ 46” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 03h 00m 13s | -04° 56’ 34” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 03h 00m 22s | -04° 56’ 23” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 03h 00m 30s | -04° 56’ 14” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 03h 00m 38s | -04° 56’ 05” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 03h 00m 46s | -04° 55’ 59” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 03h 00m 55s | -04° 55’ 53” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 03h 01m 03s | -04° 55’ 48” | 36.65 | Eridanus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)?: Key information on locating Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) with respect to the major Solar System objects.