Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)
Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) is in the constellation of Octans, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial 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
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Greenwich, UKToday comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) is not visible from
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Distance from Earth
The distance of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2013 and December 30, 2100, the closest approach of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) to Earth happened on Monday 27 May 2013 at a distance of 34.005886 Astronomical Units, or 5,087,208,201 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp), i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) at epoch September, 14 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459837.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99498100 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 89.28759425° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.89053766 AU 133,222,539 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
353.97623016 AU 52,954,090,417 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
177.43338391 AU 26,543,656,478 km |
| Orbital period | period |
2,363.5305 years 863,279.5035 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | March 29, 1997 2,450,537.1349 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | October 27, 4360 3,313,816.6384 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 130.41466706592° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 282.73342139616° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 3.8783863394232° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00041701°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19 2025 | 23h 09m 10s | -84° 41’ 22” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 20 2025 | 23h 08m 58s | -84° 42’ 30” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 21 2025 | 23h 08m 46s | -84° 43’ 38” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 22 2025 | 23h 08m 34s | -84° 44’ 46” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 23 2025 | 23h 08m 19s | -84° 45’ 55” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 24 2025 | 23h 08m 05s | -84° 47’ 02” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 25 2025 | 23h 07m 49s | -84° 48’ 09” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 26 2025 | 23h 07m 33s | -84° 49’ 16” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 27 2025 | 23h 07m 14s | -84° 50’ 22” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 28 2025 | 23h 06m 56s | -84° 51’ 28” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 29 2025 | 23h 06m 37s | -84° 52’ 34” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jun 30 2025 | 23h 06m 17s | -84° 53’ 40” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jul 01 2025 | 23h 05m 56s | -84° 54’ 45” | 20.05 | Octans |
| Jul 02 2025 | 23h 05m 34s | -84° 55’ 49” | 20.05 | Octans |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)?: Key information on where to find comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) in the sky.
- Distance of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) from Earth: Find out how far comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)'s position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) with respect to the major Solar System objects.