Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake)
Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) is in the constellation of
Centaurus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) 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/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Today Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) is not visible from Greenwich, UK
- C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) 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/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) to Earth happens on Wed Apr 24 2013 at a distance of 36.164740 Astronomical Units, or 5,410,168,144 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/1996 B2 (Hyakutake), 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/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) at epoch 14 March 1996 00:00 UTC (JD: 2450157.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99989165 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 124.92204939° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.23022353 AU 34,440,950 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4,249.28066526 AU 635,683,340,804 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
2,124.75544439 AU 317,858,890,877 km |
| Orbital period | period |
97,942.5999 years 35,773,534.6234 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 1996-May-01 09:27:34 2,450,204.8941 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 99940-Dec-11 00:25 38,223,739.5176 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 130.1751209781° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 188.04513199216° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 359.99952305825° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00001006°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) 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 06 | 13h 45m 37s | -59° 22’ 32” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 07 | 13h 45m 30s | -59° 22’ 01” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 08 | 13h 45m 22s | -59° 21’ 29” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 09 | 13h 45m 14s | -59° 20’ 56” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 10 | 13h 45m 06s | -59° 20’ 23” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 11 | 13h 44m 57s | -59° 19’ 49” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 12 | 13h 44m 50s | -59° 19’ 14” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 13 | 13h 44m 42s | -59° 18’ 39” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 14 | 13h 44m 35s | -59° 18’ 03” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 15 | 13h 44m 27s | -59° 17’ 26” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 16 | 13h 44m 20s | -59° 16’ 48” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 17 | 13h 44m 13s | -59° 16’ 10” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 18 | 13h 44m 05s | -59° 15’ 31” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
| 2025 May 19 | 13h 43m 58s | -59° 14’ 51” | 34.49 | Centaurus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com
- Where is Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake)?: Key information on locating Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) with respect to the major Solar System objects.