We use cookies to deliver essential features and to measure their performance. By using this site you accept our Privacy Policies.
A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky
Donate now and help us to keep this site free and ad-free!
public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
north SunriseRise: 7:54  
clear_day Transit: 11:51  
SunsetSet: 15:49 south
sleep NighttimeWhat's Visible Now?
Comets » 

Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)

Altitude: -35.8°   Azimuth: 215.4°   Direction: South-West

Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) is currently in the constellation of Pavo.

The current Right Ascension of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) is 18h 33m 04s and the Declination is -60° 21’ 37” (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt). The current estimated magnitude of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) is 20.52 (JPL).

18h 33m 04s
-60° 21’ 37”
Pavo
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
20.52

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.

Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Today Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) is not visible from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt

  • C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.
  • Given its current magnitude, C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) 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.

Available Resources

Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) Position and Finder Charts

Below we provide Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) finder charts showing where the object is right now in the sky with respect to the brightest stars. The first finder chart has a field of view of 50 degrees, while the second one has a field of view of 10 degrees. Click on each finder chart to access a full screen interactive Online Planetarium.

Finder chart of C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Pavo on December,11 2023
Map showing Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Pavo on December, 11 2023
Field of view: 50x30 degrees
View fullscreen
Finder chart of C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)
Map showing Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Pavo on December, 11 2023
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
View fullscreen

Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.

C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)
RA: 18h 33m 04s
Dec: -60° 21’ 37”
Deep sky finder chart for Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)
Field of view: 60x40 arcmins
View fullscreen

Also check out Where is Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.

Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) Distance from Earth

The distance of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is currently 1,875,321,294 kilometers, equivalent to 12.535749 Astronomical Units. Light takes 1 hours, 44 minutes and 15.3985 seconds to travel from Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) and arrive to us.

1,875,321,294
12.535749
1 hours, 44 minutes and 15.3985 seconds

The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) 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.

Chart of the distance of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) from Earth in Astronomical Units (au)

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/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.

Closest Approach of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) to Earth

Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) to Earth happens on Sun Dec 29 2019 at a distance of 1.520105 Astronomical Units, or 227,404,529 kilometers:

Sun Dec 29 2019
227,404,529
1.520105

NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.

Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) Brightness and Light Curve

The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2017 T2 (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.

Chart of the magnitude of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) as a function of time

Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) Orbital Elements

The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) at epoch 12 December 2019 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458830.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database

Element Symbol Value
Orbit eccentricity e 0.99967746
Orbit inclination i 57.23143924°
Perihelion distance q 1.61509542 AU
241,614,836 km
Aphelion distance Q 10,013.24403300 AU
1,497,959,989,140 km
Semi-major axis a 5,007.42956421 AU
749,100,801,988 km
Orbital period period 354,348.3998 years
129,425,753.0438 days
Date of perihelion transit Tp 2020-May-04 22:47:56
2,458,974.4500 JD
Next perihelion transit 2095-Dec-02 20:17
131,884,727.4938 JD
Argument of perihelion peri 92.99332025567°
Longitude of the ascending node node 64.378779739679°
Mean anomaly M 359.99959960068°
Mean motion n 0.00000278°/day

Visualization of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) Orbit

This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2017 T2 (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!

Orbit Diagram of Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)
View Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator

Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) 15 Days Ephemeris

The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2017 T2 (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 T2 (PANSTARRS) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.

Date Right AscensionR.A. DeclinationDec. MagnitudeMag Constellation
2023 Dec 04 18h 27m 47s -60° 26’ 49” 20.49 Pavo
2023 Dec 05 18h 28m 27s -60° 26’ 03” 20.49 Pavo
2023 Dec 06 18h 29m 08s -60° 25’ 18” 20.50 Pavo
2023 Dec 07 18h 29m 48s -60° 24’ 34” 20.50 Pavo
2023 Dec 08 18h 30m 29s -60° 23’ 53” 20.50 Pavo
2023 Dec 09 18h 31m 10s -60° 23’ 13” 20.51 Pavo
2023 Dec 10 18h 31m 51s -60° 22’ 36” 20.51 Pavo
2023 Dec 11 18h 32m 33s -60° 22’ 01” 20.51 Pavo
2023 Dec 12 18h 33m 15s -60° 21’ 29” 20.52 Pavo
2023 Dec 13 18h 33m 56s -60° 20’ 57” 20.52 Pavo
2023 Dec 14 18h 34m 37s -60° 20’ 29” 20.52 Pavo
2023 Dec 15 18h 35m 20s -60° 20’ 02” 20.52 Pavo
2023 Dec 16 18h 36m 01s -60° 19’ 36” 20.53 Pavo
2023 Dec 17 18h 36m 42s -60° 19’ 14” 20.53 Pavo