Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS)
Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) is in the constellation of
Puppis,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) was discovered on May 17, 2020, by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS). It is a comet that originates from the Oort cloud, a region of icy objects beyond the orbit of Neptune. The comet's orbit is parabolic-like, almost perpendicular to the ecliptic plane, the plane in which the planets orbit the Sun. The comet will reach its closest point to the Sun, known as perihelion, on May 9, 2023, when it will be at a distance of 3.07 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. On July 9, 2023, the comet will make its closest approach to Earth, at a distance of 2.47 AU. Between April and August 2023, the comet will be at its brightest and then it will gradually become dimmer as it moves away from the inner solar system.
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 C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Today Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) is not visible from Greenwich, UK
- C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2020 K1 (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.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2020 K1 (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.
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 K1 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) to Earth happens on Fri Jun 9 2023 at a distance of 2.471780 Astronomical Units, or 369,772,985 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 C/2020 K1 (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.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) at epoch 25 January 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459605.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99978755 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 89.66001431° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.07376730 AU 459,829,044 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
28,933.06053604 AU 4,328,324,257,705 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
14,468.06715167 AU 2,164,392,043,375 km |
| Orbital period | period |
1,740,299.4222 years 635,644,363.9475 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2023-May-09 01:58:43 2,460,073.5824 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2646-Oct-07 08:43 638,104,437.5299 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 213.97315979727° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 94.358527151777° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 359.99973489943° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000057°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 27 | 07h 01m 59s | -38° 16’ 33” | 16.64 | Puppis |
| 2024 Sep 28 | 07h 02m 00s | -38° 21’ 06” | 16.64 | Puppis |
| 2024 Sep 29 | 07h 02m 01s | -38° 25’ 39” | 16.65 | Puppis |
| 2024 Sep 30 | 07h 02m 02s | -38° 30’ 14” | 16.65 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 01 | 07h 02m 01s | -38° 34’ 49” | 16.65 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 02 | 07h 01m 59s | -38° 39’ 25” | 16.66 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 03 | 07h 01m 56s | -38° 44’ 02” | 16.66 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 04 | 07h 01m 53s | -38° 48’ 38” | 16.67 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 05 | 07h 01m 48s | -38° 53’ 15” | 16.67 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 06 | 07h 01m 43s | -38° 57’ 52” | 16.67 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 07 | 07h 01m 37s | -39° 02’ 28” | 16.68 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 08 | 07h 01m 29s | -39° 07’ 03” | 16.68 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 07h 01m 21s | -39° 11’ 39” | 16.68 | Puppis |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 07h 01m 11s | -39° 16’ 14” | 16.69 | Puppis |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2020 K1 (PANSTARRS) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.