Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2024 J3 (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 J3 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) 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.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2024 J3 (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 J3 (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 J3 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Sat Jul 25 2026 at a distance of 3.432381 Astronomical Units, or 513,476,906 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 J3 (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 J3 (ATLAS) at epoch 13 May 2024 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460444.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00770161 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 75.63982122° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.85005938 AU 575,960,686 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2026-Nov-20 23:49:33 2,461,365.4928 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 74.078454356308° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 285.95770390023° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.081214044221244° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00008818°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2024 J3 (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 05 | 19h 48m 45s | -21° 40’ 50” | 16.43 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 06 | 19h 48m 34s | -21° 36’ 42” | 16.42 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 07 | 19h 48m 22s | -21° 32’ 35” | 16.40 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 08 | 19h 48m 09s | -21° 28’ 27” | 16.39 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 09 | 19h 47m 56s | -21° 24’ 19” | 16.38 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 10 | 19h 47m 42s | -21° 20’ 11” | 16.37 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 11 | 19h 47m 28s | -21° 16’ 02” | 16.35 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 12 | 19h 47m 13s | -21° 11’ 54” | 16.34 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 13 | 19h 46m 56s | -21° 07’ 44” | 16.33 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 14 | 19h 46m 40s | -21° 03’ 35” | 16.32 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 15 | 19h 46m 22s | -20° 59’ 26” | 16.30 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 16 | 19h 46m 04s | -20° 55’ 15” | 16.29 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 17 | 19h 45m 44s | -20° 51’ 06” | 16.28 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 18 | 19h 45m 24s | -20° 46’ 55” | 16.27 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com
- Where is Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS)?: Key information on locating Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2024 J3 (ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.