Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto)
Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) is currently in the constellation of Norma. The current Right Ascension of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) is 16h 30m 48s and the Declination is -52° 18’ 42” (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]). The current estimated magnitude of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) is 35.68 (JPL).
Summary of key facts about Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) [tip: you can also create a Quick Access page for this data if you access it frequently and would like to have a simpler view]:
- C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change].
- Given its current magnitude, C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- See also C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) rise and set times.
- 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.
Additional information about Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) available on TheSkyLive:
Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) Position and Finder Charts
Below we provide Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) 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.
Field of view: 50x30 degrees
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Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.


Field of view: 60x40 arcmins
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Also check out Where is Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) from Earth is currently 1,421,752,371 kilometers, equivalent to 9.503828 Astronomical Units. Light takes 1 hours, 19 minutes and 2.4554 seconds to travel from Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) 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/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest approach of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) to Earth
Between January 2013 and December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) to Earth happens on Tue Nov 27 2018 at a distance of 0.667610 Astronomical Units, or 99,873,021 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) brightness
The current visual magnitude of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) is 35.68.
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 behavior 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.
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto), 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 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) rise and set times
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) is currently not visible from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]
The rise and set times are defined as the time at which the upper limb of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) touches the horizon, considering the effect of the atmospheric refraction. As the atmospheric conditions cannot be modeled precisely the times reported here should be considered correct with an approximation of few minutes.
Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) at epoch 15 November 2018 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458438.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
Element | Symbol | Value |
---|---|---|
Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00039679 |
Orbit inclination | i | 143.98783385° |
Perihelion distance | q | 0.38695425 AU 57,887,532 km |
Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
Orbital period | period | n.a. |
Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2018-Dec-03 12:11:36 2,458,456.0081 JD |
Argument of perihelion | peri | 88.774913687072° |
Longitude of the ascending node | node | 128.72219742331° |
Mean anomaly | M | -0.00056661929726209° |
Mean motion | n | 0.00003236°/day |
Visualization of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) 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 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) 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 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 Jan 14 | 16h 28m 00s | -51° 54’ 10” | 35.63 | Norma |
2021 Jan 15 | 16h 28m 23s | -51° 57’ 11” | 35.64 | Norma |
2021 Jan 16 | 16h 28m 45s | -52° 00’ 15” | 35.65 | Norma |
2021 Jan 17 | 16h 29m 08s | -52° 03’ 20” | 35.65 | Norma |
2021 Jan 18 | 16h 29m 29s | -52° 06’ 25” | 35.66 | Norma |
2021 Jan 19 | 16h 29m 49s | -52° 09’ 33” | 35.66 | Norma |
2021 Jan 20 | 16h 30m 11s | -52° 12’ 42” | 35.67 | Norma |
2021 Jan 21 | 16h 30m 30s | -52° 15’ 52” | 35.68 | Norma |
2021 Jan 22 | 16h 30m 51s | -52° 19’ 05” | 35.68 | Norma |
2021 Jan 23 | 16h 31m 10s | -52° 22’ 18” | 35.69 | Norma |
2021 Jan 24 | 16h 31m 28s | -52° 25’ 32” | 35.69 | Norma |
2021 Jan 25 | 16h 31m 46s | -52° 28’ 47” | 35.70 | Norma |
2021 Jan 26 | 16h 32m 04s | -52° 32’ 03” | 35.70 | Norma |
2021 Jan 27 | 16h 32m 21s | -52° 35’ 21” | 35.71 | Norma |