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 23:45 UTC (altitude: 79.3°)
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 Jun 12 | 18.72 | 17h 42m 36s | +62° 12’ 42” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 13 | 18.72 | 17h 41m 59s | +62° 12’ 36” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 14 | 18.72 | 17h 41m 24s | +62° 12’ 25” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 15 | 18.72 | 17h 40m 47s | +62° 12’ 10” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 16 | 18.71 | 17h 40m 12s | +62° 11’ 49” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 17 | 18.71 | 17h 39m 34s | +62° 11’ 23” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 18 | 18.71 | 17h 38m 58s | +62° 10’ 54” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 19 | 18.71 | 17h 38m 22s | +62° 10’ 18” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 20 | 18.71 | 17h 37m 46s | +62° 09’ 38” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 21 | 18.70 | 17h 37m 09s | +62° 08’ 53” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 22 | 18.70 | 17h 36m 33s | +62° 08’ 03” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 23 | 18.70 | 17h 35m 57s | +62° 07’ 08” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 24 | 18.70 | 17h 35m 21s | +62° 06’ 07” | Draco |
| 2018 Jun 25 | 18.70 | 17h 34m 45s | +62° 05’ 03” | 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 27 August 2017 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457993.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00035236 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 87.55270793° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.81045569 AU 270,840,316 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 06:32:16 2,459,934.7724 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 236.02318824268° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 88.191488909367° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.0051949820572057° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000268°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2022-Jul-14 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 1.80762708 AU 270,417,162 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.