Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard)
Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) is in the constellation of
Dorado,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
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/2023 A1 (Leonard) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Today Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) is not visible from Greenwich, UK
- C/2023 A1 (Leonard) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2023 A1 (Leonard) 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/2023 A1 (Leonard) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) 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/2023 A1 (Leonard) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) to Earth happens on Thu Mar 2 2023 at a distance of 1.186987 Astronomical Units, or 177,570,761 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/2023 A1 (Leonard), 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/2023 A1 (Leonard) at epoch 15 January 2023 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459960.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99319764 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 94.75134872° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.83476584 AU 274,477,064 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
537.61541919 AU 80,426,122,127 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
269.72509251 AU 40,350,299,595 km |
| Orbital period | period |
4,429.8623 years 1,618,007.2116 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2023-Mar-18 17:34:30 2,460,022.2323 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 6453-Feb-28 22:39 4,078,029.4439 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 159.25490336127° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 318.30021765431° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 359.98626481462° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00022250°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) 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 Oct 08 | 06h 31m 45s | -67° 41’ 25” | 26.39 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 06h 31m 00s | -67° 52’ 58” | 26.40 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 06h 30m 13s | -68° 04’ 27” | 26.40 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 11 | 06h 29m 24s | -68° 15’ 51” | 26.41 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 12 | 06h 28m 32s | -68° 27’ 10” | 26.42 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 13 | 06h 27m 39s | -68° 38’ 25” | 26.43 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 14 | 06h 26m 42s | -68° 49’ 34” | 26.44 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 06h 25m 42s | -69° 00’ 38” | 26.45 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 06h 24m 40s | -69° 11’ 36” | 26.45 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 17 | 06h 23m 36s | -69° 22’ 28” | 26.46 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 18 | 06h 22m 29s | -69° 33’ 14” | 26.47 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 19 | 06h 21m 19s | -69° 43’ 52” | 26.48 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 20 | 06h 20m 07s | -69° 54’ 25” | 26.49 | Dorado |
| 2024 Oct 21 | 06h 18m 52s | -70° 04’ 49” | 26.50 | Mensa |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2023 A1 (Leonard) 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/2023 A1 (Leonard) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.