Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) Sky Charts and Coordinates
This is a simplified sky chart, showing where Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) 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
The Observed Magnitude and Coma Diameter values are derived from the Comet Observers Database by averaging the values reported in recent observations (more recent than 4 days), when available. The Estimated Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behvior of comets. When available please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Estimated 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.
Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) Rise and Set Times
Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) is circumpolar from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change] and transits at 09:19 UTC (altitude: 79.5°)
Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) Orbit Diagram
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) 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/2018 A3 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Oct 12 | 11h 07m 32s | +39° 35’ 54” | 16.41 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 13 | 11h 08m 00s | +39° 45’ 27” | 16.39 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 14 | 11h 08m 30s | +39° 55’ 13” | 16.38 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 15 | 11h 08m 58s | +40° 05’ 13” | 16.37 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 16 | 11h 09m 28s | +40° 15’ 29” | 16.35 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 17 | 11h 09m 56s | +40° 26’ 00” | 16.34 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 18 | 11h 10m 23s | +40° 36’ 47” | 16.33 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 19 | 11h 10m 50s | +40° 47’ 50” | 16.31 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 20 | 11h 11m 17s | +40° 59’ 09” | 16.30 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 21 | 11h 11m 44s | +41° 10’ 45” | 16.29 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 22 | 11h 12m 11s | +41° 22’ 37” | 16.27 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 23 | 11h 12m 37s | +41° 34’ 46” | 16.26 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 24 | 11h 13m 01s | +41° 47’ 13” | 16.24 | Ursa Major |
| 2018 Oct 25 | 11h 13m 27s | +41° 59’ 58” | 16.23 | Ursa Major |
Distance of Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) from Earth
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) 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/2018 A3 (ATLAS) is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Light Curve of Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS)
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS), 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/2018 A3 (ATLAS) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2018 A3 (ATLAS) at epoch 28 March 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458206.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99308089 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 139.56062516° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.27685379 AU 490,210,350 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
943.91191868 AU 141,207,213,445 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
473.59438623 AU 70,848,711,898 km |
| Orbital period | period |
10,306.6600 years 3,764,508.1837 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2019-Jan-12 20:52:17 2,458,496.3697 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 86.421090162313° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 194.27640626224° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 359.97227975879° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00009563°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2019-Jan-10 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 2.60577249 AU 389,818,017 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.