Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) Sky Charts and Coordinates
This is a simplified sky chart, showing where Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) is now with respect to the brightest stars and constellations.
More advanced sky charts are available on TheSkyLive for this object: 1) the Online Planetarium which is interactive and allows to select dates and additional objects to visualize; and 2) the Live Position and Data Tracker which provides the highest precision position data and features deep sky imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey.
High Precision Live Sky Chart
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) Rise and Set Times
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) is circumpolar from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change] and transits at 04:05 UTC (altitude: 80.7°)
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) Orbit Diagram
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
View Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | MagnitudeMag | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Apr 15 | 18.95 | 18h 08m 14s | +60° 21’ 17” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 16 | 18.95 | 18h 08m 02s | +60° 24’ 38” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 17 | 18.95 | 18h 07m 49s | +60° 27’ 55” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 18 | 18.94 | 18h 07m 36s | +60° 31’ 10” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 19 | 18.94 | 18h 07m 22s | +60° 34’ 26” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 20 | 18.94 | 18h 07m 06s | +60° 37’ 37” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 21 | 18.94 | 18h 06m 51s | +60° 40’ 49” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 22 | 18.94 | 18h 06m 35s | +60° 43’ 57” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 23 | 18.93 | 18h 06m 19s | +60° 47’ 03” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 24 | 18.93 | 18h 06m 02s | +60° 50’ 08” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 25 | 18.93 | 18h 05m 44s | +60° 53’ 09” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 26 | 18.93 | 18h 05m 26s | +60° 56’ 08” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 27 | 18.92 | 18h 05m 08s | +60° 59’ 07” | Draco |
| 2018 Apr 28 | 18.92 | 18h 04m 47s | +61° 02’ 02” | Draco |
Distance of Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) from Earth
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) from Earth as a function of time. Distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with a 2 days interval.
The reported distances might be inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Light Curve of Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS), 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.
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) at epoch 26 July 2017 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457961.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00033405 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 87.55332036° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.81066398 AU 270,871,477 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Dec-21 08:24:19 2,459,934.8502 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 236.02248101097° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 88.185465399993° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.0048737930247181° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000247°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2022-Jul-14 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 1.80797962 AU 270,469,902 km |
|
* NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed for the time interval between 2013-Jan-01 and 2075-Dec-31, with a sampling interval of 1 day.