Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) is in the constellation of
Draco,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) 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/2024 C4 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the North-North-West direction at an altitude of 34.79° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2024 C4 (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/2024 C4 (ATLAS) 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/2024 C4 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Fri Apr 12 2024 at a distance of 0.941512 Astronomical Units, or 140,848,192 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/2024 C4 (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.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) at epoch 15 February 2024 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460356.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.96979736 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 79.18307755° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.46630867 AU 219,356,656 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
95.63173096 AU 14,306,303,352 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
48.54901982 AU 7,262,830,004 km |
| Orbital period | period |
338.2820 years 123,557.5039 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2024-Jan-29 18:39:33 2,460,339.2775 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2362-May-15 06:45 2,583,896.7813 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 321.19101380123° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 220.5921236474° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 0.050179961852602° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00291362°/day |
View Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) 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 28 | 18h 36m 52s | +61° 47’ 13” | 25.33 | Draco |
| 2025 May 29 | 18h 35m 54s | +61° 53’ 39” | 25.34 | Draco |
| 2025 May 30 | 18h 34m 54s | +61° 59’ 53” | 25.35 | Draco |
| 2025 May 31 | 18h 33m 54s | +62° 05’ 53” | 25.36 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 18h 32m 54s | +62° 11’ 43” | 25.37 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 18h 31m 52s | +62° 17’ 20” | 25.38 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 18h 30m 48s | +62° 22’ 45” | 25.39 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 18h 29m 45s | +62° 27’ 57” | 25.40 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 18h 28m 41s | +62° 32’ 57” | 25.41 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 18h 27m 35s | +62° 37’ 44” | 25.42 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 18h 26m 29s | +62° 42’ 18” | 25.43 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 18h 25m 23s | +62° 46’ 40” | 25.44 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 18h 24m 16s | +62° 50’ 48” | 25.45 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 18h 23m 07s | +62° 54’ 44” | 25.46 | Draco |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)?: Key information on locating Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.