Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) is currently in the constellation of Lupus, at a distance of 542,168,045 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 Y1 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Today Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) is not visible from Greenwich, United Kingdom
- C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet C/2021 Y1 (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 Y1 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently 542,168,045 kilometers, equivalent to 3.624170 Astronomical Units. Light takes 30 minutes and 8.4779 seconds to travel from Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2021 Y1 (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 Y1 (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 Y1 (ATLAS) to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Tue Dec 13 2022 at a distance of 1.688418 Astronomical Units, or 252,583,802 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2021 Y1 (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 Y1 (ATLAS) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) at epoch 30 September 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459853.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00081952 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 77.18706556° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.03252901 AU 304,062,012 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2023-Apr-30 16:44:05 2,460,065.1973 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 245.8097772486° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 244.76964317487° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.001689274596584° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000798°/day |
Visualization of Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2021 Y1 (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 Y1 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2021 Y1 (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 Y1 (ATLAS) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 01 | 15h 56m 12s | -43° 59’ 02” | 17.72 | Norma |
| 2024 May 02 | 15h 55m 04s | -43° 50’ 57” | 17.72 | Norma |
| 2024 May 03 | 15h 53m 54s | -43° 42’ 44” | 17.73 | Norma |
| 2024 May 04 | 15h 52m 45s | -43° 34’ 22” | 17.73 | Norma |
| 2024 May 05 | 15h 51m 35s | -43° 25’ 50” | 17.74 | Norma |
| 2024 May 06 | 15h 50m 26s | -43° 17’ 09” | 17.74 | Norma |
| 2024 May 07 | 15h 49m 18s | -43° 08’ 20” | 17.75 | Norma |
| 2024 May 08 | 15h 48m 09s | -42° 59’ 21” | 17.75 | Lupus |
| 2024 May 09 | 15h 46m 59s | -42° 50’ 13” | 17.76 | Lupus |
| 2024 May 10 | 15h 45m 51s | -42° 40’ 59” | 17.76 | Lupus |
| 2024 May 11 | 15h 44m 43s | -42° 31’ 35” | 17.77 | Lupus |
| 2024 May 12 | 15h 43m 33s | -42° 22’ 02” | 17.78 | Lupus |
| 2024 May 13 | 15h 42m 26s | -42° 12’ 23” | 17.78 | Lupus |
| 2024 May 14 | 15h 41m 18s | -42° 02’ 35” | 17.79 | Lupus |