Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8)
Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) is currently in the constellation of Auriga. The current Right Ascension of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) is 05h 35m 52s and the Declination is +43° 16’ 04” (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]). The current estimated magnitude of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) is 8.45 (JPL) while the latest observed magnitude is 7.8 (COBS).
Summary of key facts about Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) [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/2020 F8 (SWAN) is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change].
- It is visible looking in the North-West direction at an altitude of 18° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2020 F8 (SWAN) is visible with the help of a binocular with a 40-50mm aperture or a small telescope.
- See also C/2020 F8 (SWAN) 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 SWAN (C/2020 F8) available on TheSkyLive:
Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) Position and Finder Charts
Below we provide Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) 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 SWAN (C/2020 F8) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) from Earth is currently 197,079,335 kilometers, equivalent to 1.317394 Astronomical Units. Light takes 10 minutes and 57.3859 seconds to travel from Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) 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/2020 F8 (SWAN) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest approach of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) to Earth
Between January 2013 and January 2100 the closest approach of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) to Earth happens on Wed May 13 2020 at a distance of 0.56862572 Astronomical Units, or 85,065,197 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) brightness
The current visual magnitude of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) is 8.45.
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 SWAN (C/2020 F8), 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 SWAN (C/2020 F8) rise and set times
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) is circumpolar and transits at 12:34 UTC (altitude: 81.8°)
The rise and set times are defined as the time at which the upper limb of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) 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 SWAN (C/2020 F8) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) at epoch 11 April 2020 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458951.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.09808817 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 111.32316355° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.43355636 AU 64,859,109 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2020-May-26 09:34:41 2,458,995.8991 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 65.298256227698° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 261.38499075832° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -4.7090655568575° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.10606220°/day |
Visualization of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) 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 SWAN (C/2020 F8) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 May 30 | 04h 54m 02s | +46° 25’ 08” | 7.13 | Auriga |
| 2020 May 31 | 05h 01m 18s | +46° 10’ 36” | 7.28 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 01 | 05h 07m 54s | +45° 51’ 47” | 7.43 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 02 | 05h 13m 51s | +45° 29’ 40” | 7.60 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 03 | 05h 19m 15s | +45° 04’ 59” | 7.77 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 04 | 05h 24m 10s | +44° 38’ 24” | 7.94 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 05 | 05h 28m 36s | +44° 10’ 23” | 8.12 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 06 | 05h 32m 40s | +43° 41’ 26” | 8.30 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 07 | 05h 36m 24s | +43° 11’ 52” | 8.48 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 08 | 05h 39m 50s | +42° 41’ 56” | 8.66 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 09 | 05h 42m 59s | +42° 11’ 53” | 8.84 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 10 | 05h 45m 53s | +41° 41’ 53” | 9.02 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 11 | 05h 48m 37s | +41° 12’ 03” | 9.20 | Auriga |
| 2020 Jun 12 | 05h 51m 07s | +40° 42’ 32” | 9.37 | Auriga |