Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)
Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) is in the constellation of
Eridanus,
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 C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) 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 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.
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 2013 and 30 December 2100, 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 |
Orbit Visualization
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Oct 08 | 03h 00m 06s | -06° 58’ 24” | 36.07 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 02h 59m 57s | -06° 59’ 31” | 36.08 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 02h 59m 47s | -07° 00’ 37” | 36.08 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 11 | 02h 59m 38s | -07° 01’ 43” | 36.08 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 12 | 02h 59m 28s | -07° 02’ 49” | 36.08 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 13 | 02h 59m 18s | -07° 03’ 52” | 36.08 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 14 | 02h 59m 09s | -07° 04’ 56” | 36.08 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 02h 58m 59s | -07° 05’ 59” | 36.08 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 02h 58m 49s | -07° 07’ 01” | 36.08 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 17 | 02h 58m 39s | -07° 08’ 03” | 36.09 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 18 | 02h 58m 29s | -07° 09’ 03” | 36.09 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 19 | 02h 58m 19s | -07° 10’ 03” | 36.09 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 20 | 02h 58m 09s | -07° 11’ 02” | 36.09 | Eridanus |
| 2024 Oct 21 | 02h 57m 58s | -07° 11’ 59” | 36.09 | Eridanus |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2016 U1 (NEOWISE) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.