Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)
Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) is in the constellation of
Auriga,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) 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/2012 S1 (ISON) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2012 S1 (ISON) is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East-North-East direction at an altitude of 35.94° above the horizon.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) 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/2012 S1 (ISON) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) to Earth happens on Fri Dec 27 2013 at a distance of 0.430624 Astronomical Units, or 64,420,498 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 C/2012 S1 (ISON) at epoch 30 April 2013 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456413.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00000510 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 62.16289398° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.01246671 AU 1,864,994 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2013-Nov-28 18:20:55 2,456,625.2645 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 345.54119894206° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 295.68654180456° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.00172478090192° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000814°/day |
View Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) 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 15 | 07h 19m 43s | +37° 03’ 31” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 16 | 07h 19m 49s | +37° 02’ 57” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 17 | 07h 19m 54s | +37° 02’ 24” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 18 | 07h 20m 00s | +37° 01’ 51” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 19 | 07h 20m 06s | +37° 01’ 18” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 20 | 07h 20m 13s | +37° 00’ 46” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 21 | 07h 20m 19s | +37° 00’ 13” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 22 | 07h 20m 25s | +36° 59’ 41” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 23 | 07h 20m 32s | +36° 59’ 09” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 24 | 07h 20m 38s | +36° 58’ 37” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 25 | 07h 20m 45s | +36° 58’ 05” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 26 | 07h 20m 52s | +36° 57’ 33” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 27 | 07h 20m 58s | +36° 57’ 01” | N.A. | Auriga |
| 2025 May 28 | 07h 21m 05s | +36° 56’ 30” | N.A. | Auriga |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)?: Key information on locating Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) with respect to the major Solar System objects.