Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1)
Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) is in the constellation of
Ara,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) 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 McNaught (C/2006 P1) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Today Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) is not visible from Greenwich, UK
- C/2006 P1 (McNaught) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2006 P1 (McNaught) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) 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/2006 P1 (McNaught) 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 McNaught (C/2006 P1) to Earth happens on Sun May 19 2013 at a distance of 18.313111 Astronomical Units, or 2,739,602,358 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 McNaught (C/2006 P1), 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 McNaught (C/2006 P1) at epoch 25 November 2006 00:00 UTC (JD: 2454065.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00001882 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 77.83700055° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.17073646 AU 25,541,812 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2007-Jan-12 19:10:20 2,454,113.2988 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 155.97496811491° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 267.41480264354° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -5.4502812965141E-5° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000114°/day |
View Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) 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 10 | 17h 08m 22s | -54° 30’ 18” | 46.28 | Ara |
| 2025 May 11 | 17h 08m 13s | -54° 30’ 34” | 46.28 | Ara |
| 2025 May 12 | 17h 08m 03s | -54° 30’ 48” | 46.28 | Ara |
| 2025 May 13 | 17h 07m 54s | -54° 31’ 02” | 46.28 | Ara |
| 2025 May 14 | 17h 07m 44s | -54° 31’ 16” | 46.28 | Ara |
| 2025 May 15 | 17h 07m 35s | -54° 31’ 27” | 46.28 | Ara |
| 2025 May 16 | 17h 07m 25s | -54° 31’ 40” | 46.28 | Ara |
| 2025 May 17 | 17h 07m 16s | -54° 31’ 50” | 46.29 | Ara |
| 2025 May 18 | 17h 07m 06s | -54° 31’ 59” | 46.29 | Ara |
| 2025 May 19 | 17h 06m 56s | -54° 32’ 08” | 46.29 | Ara |
| 2025 May 20 | 17h 06m 46s | -54° 32’ 16” | 46.29 | Ara |
| 2025 May 21 | 17h 06m 36s | -54° 32’ 23” | 46.29 | Ara |
| 2025 May 22 | 17h 06m 26s | -54° 32’ 30” | 46.29 | Ara |
| 2025 May 23 | 17h 06m 16s | -54° 32’ 35” | 46.29 | Ara |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com
- Where is Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1)?: Key information on locating Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet McNaught (C/2006 P1) with respect to the major Solar System objects.