Bright Comets
This page provides a comprehensive list of the bright comets currently visible in the sky. This list is updated
with new information several times per day.
Comets for which there is data from recent observations reported in the Comet Observation database (COBS)
are listed first, in order of decreasing brightness.
When data from recent observations is not available,
the magnitude provided by the JPL Horizons datasets is used
as an estimation of the brightness.
Credits for comet observation data: COBS Comet Observation Database – CC BY-NA-SA 4.0
Visibility from selected location
visibility = visible to the naked eye
stars = binocular, brighter than 10th magnitude
radio_button_checked Current altitude ≥ 30°
radio_button_checked Current altitude < 30°
radio_button_checked Below the horizon
C/2023 P1 (Nishimura)
visibility
Magnitude : 4.6 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 1.0'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-23
RA : 13h 03m 31s
Decl : -16° 21’ 14”
in
Virgo
C/2020 V2 (ZTF)
stars
Magnitude : 9.0 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 6.5'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-26
RA : 01h 31m 04s
Decl : -32° 29’ 32”
in
Sculptor
C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)
stars
Magnitude : 9.9 (Observed - COBS)
trending_flat
Coma Diameter : n/a
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-26
RA : 06h 50m 07s
Decl : -08° 16’ 09”
in
Monoceros
C/2023 H2 (Lemmon)
Magnitude : 11.0 (Observed - COBS)
trending_up
Coma Diameter : 5.0'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-27
RA : 12h 02m 22s
Decl : +45° 10’ 15”
in
Ursa Major
2P/Encke
Magnitude : 11.3 (Observed - COBS)
trending_up
Coma Diameter : 3.7'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-28
RA : 10h 30m 14s
Decl : +17° 12’ 02”
in
Leo
C/2023 E1 (ATLAS)
Magnitude : 12.0 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 1.5'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-25
RA : 22h 25m 02s
Decl : -20° 47’ 35”
in
Aquarius
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann
Magnitude : 13.2 (Observed - COBS)
trending_up
Coma Diameter : 1.8'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-28
RA : 08h 30m 09s
Decl : +21° 32’ 34”
in
Cancer
C/2022 A2 (PANSTARRS)
Magnitude : 13.2 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 1.8'
Tail Length : 13.7'
Observation Date : 2023-09-26
RA : 22h 59m 17s
Decl : +01° 40’ 57”
in
Pisces
103P/Hartley
Magnitude : 13.6 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 0.6'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-29
RA : 06h 39m 29s
Decl : +29° 55’ 17”
in
Auriga
C/2021 X1 (Maury-Attard)
Magnitude : 13.8 (Observed - COBS)
trending_flat
Coma Diameter : 1.8'
Tail Length : 21.7'
Observation Date : 2023-09-27
RA : 00h 20m 22s
Decl : +06° 06’ 09”
in
Pisces
126P/IRAS
Magnitude : 15.0 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 1.8'
Tail Length : 9.3'
Observation Date : 2023-09-26
RA : 02h 04m 06s
Decl : +64° 40’ 27”
in
Cassiopeia
117P/Helin-Roman-Alu
Magnitude : 15.2 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 0.4'
Tail Length : 8.0'
Observation Date : 2023-09-27
RA : 00h 23m 49s
Decl : -08° 03’ 50”
in
Cetus
12P/Pons-Brooks
Magnitude : 15.3 (Observed - COBS)
trending_up
Coma Diameter : 0.3'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-29
RA : 17h 20m 30s
Decl : +46° 36’ 46”
in
Hercules
71P/Clark
Magnitude : 15.5 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 1.5'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-24
RA : 01h 03m 46s
Decl : -05° 28’ 51”
in
Cetus
C/2019 T4 (ATLAS)
Magnitude : 15.5 (Observed - COBS)
trending_flat
Coma Diameter : 0.6'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-27
RA : 15h 46m 18s
Decl : +16° 57’ 23”
in
Serpens
62P/Tsuchinshan
Magnitude : 15.8 (Observed - COBS)
trending_up
Coma Diameter : 1.1'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-26
RA : 06h 07m 47s
Decl : +21° 39’ 05”
in
Gemini
P/2023 M4 (ATLAS)
Magnitude : 15.8 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 0.2'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-22
RA : 21h 06m 38s
Decl : -11° 59’ 31”
in
Aquarius
237P/LINEAR
Magnitude : 16.0 (Observed - COBS)
trending_down
Coma Diameter : 0.2'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-29
RA : 19h 50m 37s
Decl : -02° 29’ 20”
in
Aquila
C/2022 U3 (Bok)
Magnitude : 16.9 (Observed - COBS)
trending_up
Coma Diameter : 0.3'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-26
RA : 05h 09m 04s
Decl : +39° 06’ 40”
in
Auriga
C/2020 Y2 (ATLAS)
Magnitude : 17.3 (Observed - COBS)
trending_flat
Coma Diameter : 0.4'
Tail Length : n/a
Observation Date : 2023-09-25
RA : 02h 29m 11s
Decl : -02° 38’ 54”
in
Cetus
