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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 5:44  
clear_day Transit: 12:03  
SunsetSet: 18:24
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Comets » 

Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)

Altitude: -1.1°   Azimuth: 169.3°   Direction: South

Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) is currently in the constellation of Centaurus, at a distance of 273,627,145 kilometers from Earth.

Finder chart of C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) in Centaurus on March,28 2024
Map showing Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) in Centaurus on March, 28 2024. Field of view: 50x30 degrees
View interactive star map
The current Right Ascension of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) is 13h 07m 13s and the Declination is -38° 50’ 34” (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt). The current estimated magnitude of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) is 12.13 (JPL) while the latest observed magnitude is 14.9 (COBS).

13h 07m 13s
-38° 50’ 34”
Centaurus
14.9
0.5'
n/a
2024-03-22
12.13

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/2022 L2 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Today Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) is not visible from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt

  • C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.
  • Given its current magnitude, C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) is visible with the help of a telescope having an aperture of 20 inches (500mm) or more.
  • 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.

Additional Resources

Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) Position and Finder Charts

Finder chart of C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)
Map showing Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) in Centaurus on March, 28 2024
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
View fullscreen

Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.

C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)
RA: 13h 07m 13s
Dec: -38° 50’ 34”
Deep sky finder chart for Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)
Field of view: 60x40 arcmins
View fullscreen

Also check out Where is Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.

Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) Distance from Earth

The distance of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently 273,627,145 kilometers, equivalent to 1.829084 Astronomical Units. Light takes 15 minutes and 12.7219 seconds to travel from Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) and arrive to us.

273,627,145
1.829084
15 minutes and 12.7219 seconds

The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2022 L2 (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.

Chart of the distance of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) from Earth in Astronomical Units (au)

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/2022 L2 (ATLAS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.

Closest Approach of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) to Earth

Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Fri Apr 5 2024 at a distance of 1.811538 Astronomical Units, or 271,002,177 kilometers:

Fri Apr 5 2024
271,002,177
1.811538

NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.

Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) Brightness and Light Curve

The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2022 L2 (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.

Chart of the magnitude of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) as a function of time

Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) Orbital Elements

The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) at epoch 07 August 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459799.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database

Element Symbol Value
Orbit eccentricity e 1.00099241
Orbit inclination i 129.31204716°
Perihelion distance q 2.69137057 AU
402,623,307 km
Aphelion distance Q n.a.
Semi-major axis a n.a.
Orbital period period n.a.
Date of perihelion transit Tp 2024-Mar-12 10:11:52
2,460,381.9249 JD
Argument of perihelion peri 199.97530536925°
Longitude of the ascending node node 39.247476456006°
Mean anomaly M -0.0040645979433483°
Mean motion n 0.00000698°/day

Visualization of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) Orbit

This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2022 L2 (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!

Orbit Diagram of Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)
View Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator

Comet C/2022 L2 (ATLAS) 15 Days Ephemeris

The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2022 L2 (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/2022 L2 (ATLAS) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.

Date Right AscensionR.A. DeclinationDec. MagnitudeMag Constellation
2024 Mar 21 13h 42m 42s -37° 45’ 38” 12.19 Centaurus
2024 Mar 22 13h 38m 30s -37° 56’ 38” 12.18 Centaurus
2024 Mar 23 13h 34m 13s -38° 06’ 51” 12.17 Centaurus
2024 Mar 24 13h 29m 52s -38° 16’ 19” 12.16 Centaurus
2024 Mar 25 13h 25m 27s -38° 24’ 57” 12.16 Centaurus
2024 Mar 26 13h 20m 57s -38° 32’ 44” 12.15 Centaurus
2024 Mar 27 13h 16m 24s -38° 39’ 35” 12.14 Centaurus
2024 Mar 28 13h 11m 48s -38° 45’ 33” 12.14 Centaurus
2024 Mar 29 13h 07m 09s -38° 50’ 33” 12.13 Centaurus
2024 Mar 30 13h 02m 27s -38° 54’ 33” 12.13 Centaurus
2024 Mar 31 12h 57m 43s -38° 57’ 34” 12.12 Centaurus
2024 Apr 01 12h 52m 59s -38° 59’ 35” 12.12 Centaurus
2024 Apr 02 12h 48m 11s -39° 00’ 33” 12.12 Centaurus
2024 Apr 03 12h 43m 24s -39° 00’ 30” 12.12 Centaurus