Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS)
Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-West direction at an altitude of 13.98° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2020 U5 (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 U5 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) to Earth happens on Tue Dec 28 2021 at a distance of 3.393910 Astronomical Units, or 507,721,763 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 U5 (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 U5 (PANSTARRS) at epoch 03 January 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459583.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99935367 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 97.27109360° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.75593175 AU 561,879,393 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
11,618.53702947 AU 1,738,108,403,743 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5,811.14648061 AU 869,335,141,568 km |
| Orbital period | period |
442,997.1543 years 161,804,710.5998 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Apr-27 21:04:17 2,459,697.3780 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 4555-Feb-08 20:21 164,264,407.9778 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 75.415390070965° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 107.33791968475° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 359.99974663239° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000222°/day |
View Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2020 U5 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 18 | 19h 37m 36s | -18° 50’ 41” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 19 | 19h 37m 20s | -18° 53’ 00” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 20 | 19h 37m 04s | -18° 55’ 20” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 21 | 19h 36m 47s | -18° 57’ 42” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 22 | 19h 36m 29s | -19° 00’ 05” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 23 | 19h 36m 11s | -19° 02’ 28” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 24 | 19h 35m 53s | -19° 04’ 54” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 25 | 19h 35m 35s | -19° 07’ 21” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 26 | 19h 35m 16s | -19° 09’ 48” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 27 | 19h 34m 56s | -19° 12’ 17” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 28 | 19h 34m 36s | -19° 14’ 47” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 29 | 19h 34m 16s | -19° 17’ 17” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 30 | 19h 33m 57s | -19° 19’ 49” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 31 | 19h 33m 36s | -19° 22’ 22” | 21.58 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS)?: Key information on locating Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2020 U5 (PANSTARRS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.