Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8)
Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) is in the constellation of
Eridanus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High 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.
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
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.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2020 F8 (SWAN) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2020 F8 (SWAN) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) from Earth is currently
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
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) to Earth happens on Wed May 13 2020 at a distance of 0.555957 Astronomical Units, or 83,170,050 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
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.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) at epoch 23 April 2020 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458963.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99984071 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 110.79607825° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.43031729 AU 64,374,551 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5,402.56709183 AU 808,212,534,872 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
2,701.49870456 AU 404,138,454,711 km |
| Orbital period | period |
140,415.5960 years 51,286,796.4402 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2020-May-27 13:06:40 2,458,997.0463 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 142438-Nov-18 23:40 53,745,793.4865 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 68.198141767531° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 260.02865799143° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 359.99976452675° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000702°/day |
View Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
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. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 20 | 04h 21m 00s | -21° 54’ 26” | 23.13 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 21 | 04h 21m 15s | -21° 53’ 55” | 23.13 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 22 | 04h 21m 29s | -21° 53’ 28” | 23.13 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 23 | 04h 21m 44s | -21° 53’ 01” | 23.13 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 24 | 04h 21m 59s | -21° 52’ 38” | 23.13 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 25 | 04h 22m 13s | -21° 52’ 17” | 23.13 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 26 | 04h 22m 28s | -21° 51’ 59” | 23.14 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 27 | 04h 22m 42s | -21° 51’ 42” | 23.14 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 28 | 04h 22m 57s | -21° 51’ 28” | 23.14 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 29 | 04h 23m 11s | -21° 51’ 16” | 23.14 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 30 | 04h 23m 26s | -21° 51’ 08” | 23.14 | Eridanus |
| 2025 May 31 | 04h 23m 41s | -21° 51’ 00” | 23.14 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 04h 23m 55s | -21° 50’ 56” | 23.14 | Eridanus |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 04h 24m 10s | -21° 50’ 54” | 23.14 | Eridanus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8)?: Key information on locating Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet SWAN (C/2020 F8) with respect to the major Solar System objects.