Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) Position Calculator
Compute the position of Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) for any date and time between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100 and visualize the results on an interactive sky map.
In Evidence
Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1)
Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) is in the constellation of
Canis Majoris,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) 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 Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/1965 S1 (Ikeya-Seki) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- 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 Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) 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/1965 S1 (Ikeya-Seki) 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 Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) to Earth happens on Tue Jan 1 2013 at a distance of 66.107439 Astronomical Units, or 9,889,532,105 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) at epoch 01 January 1970 00:00 UTC (JD: 2439040.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.99991500 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 141.86420000° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.00778600 AU 1,164,769 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
183.19221400 AU 27,405,165,198 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
91.60000000 AU 13,703,164,984 km |
| Orbital period | period |
880.0000 years 321,420.0000 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 1965-Oct-21 04:24:31 2,439,054.6837 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2845-Oct-27 04:24 2,760,474.6837 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 69.0486° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 346.9947° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.015946° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00112420°/day |
View Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) 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 11 | 06h 45m 18s | -11° 43’ 28” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 12 | 06h 45m 20s | -11° 43’ 10” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 13 | 06h 45m 22s | -11° 42’ 53” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 14 | 06h 45m 24s | -11° 42’ 35” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 15 | 06h 45m 26s | -11° 42’ 18” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 16 | 06h 45m 28s | -11° 42’ 03” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 17 | 06h 45m 30s | -11° 41’ 46” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 18 | 06h 45m 32s | -11° 41’ 30” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 19 | 06h 45m 35s | -11° 41’ 15” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 20 | 06h 45m 37s | -11° 40’ 59” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 21 | 06h 45m 39s | -11° 40’ 44” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 22 | 06h 45m 41s | -11° 40’ 30” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 23 | 06h 45m 44s | -11° 40’ 16” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
| 2025 May 24 | 06h 45m 46s | -11° 40’ 02” | N.A. | Canis Majoris |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com
- Where is Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1)?: Key information on locating Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet Ikeya-Seki (C/1965 S1) with respect to the major Solar System objects.