Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) is currently in the constellation of Orion, at a distance of 1,384,614,015 kilometers from Earth.
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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.
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) Position and Finder Charts
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently 1,384,614,015 kilometers, equivalent to 9.255573 Astronomical Units. Light takes 1 hours, 16 minutes and 58.5752 seconds to travel from Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) 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/2021 K1 (ATLAS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Sat Aug 15 2065 at a distance of 1.477420 Astronomical Units, or 221,018,939 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS), 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/2021 K1 (ATLAS) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) at epoch 18 August 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459445.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.80399384 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 16.27606739° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.49783183 AU 373,670,323 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
22.98944647 AU 3,439,172,247 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
12.74363915 AU 1,906,421,285 km |
| Orbital period | period |
45.4934 years 16,616.4645 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2021-May-04 13:50:34 2,459,339.0768 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2066-Nov-01 00:59 2,475,955.5413 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 184.30382098948° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 140.90565587147° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 2.3056864316312° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.02166526°/day |
Visualization of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) 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/2021 K1 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet C/2021 K1 (ATLAS) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Apr 29 | 05h 47m 56s | +11° 53’ 21” | 29.06 | Orion |
| 2024 Apr 30 | 05h 48m 20s | +11° 54’ 41” | 29.07 | Orion |
| 2024 May 01 | 05h 48m 44s | +11° 55’ 59” | 29.08 | Orion |
| 2024 May 02 | 05h 49m 09s | +11° 57’ 16” | 29.09 | Orion |
| 2024 May 03 | 05h 49m 36s | +11° 58’ 32” | 29.09 | Orion |
| 2024 May 04 | 05h 50m 00s | +11° 59’ 47” | 29.10 | Orion |
| 2024 May 05 | 05h 50m 26s | +12° 01’ 00” | 29.11 | Orion |
| 2024 May 06 | 05h 50m 53s | +12° 02’ 12” | 29.12 | Orion |
| 2024 May 07 | 05h 51m 19s | +12° 03’ 24” | 29.13 | Orion |
| 2024 May 08 | 05h 51m 44s | +12° 04’ 33” | 29.14 | Orion |
| 2024 May 09 | 05h 52m 10s | +12° 05’ 42” | 29.15 | Orion |
| 2024 May 10 | 05h 52m 37s | +12° 06’ 48” | 29.16 | Orion |
| 2024 May 11 | 05h 53m 04s | +12° 07’ 54” | 29.17 | Orion |
| 2024 May 12 | 05h 53m 31s | +12° 08’ 58” | 29.17 | Orion |