Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)
Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) is in the constellation of
Lynx,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
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 North-West direction at an altitude of 15.10° above the horizon.
- 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.
Finder Charts
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.
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 2013 and 30 December 2100, 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 |
Orbit Visualization
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Oct 03 | 07h 36m 56s | +36° 46’ 46” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 04 | 07h 36m 58s | +36° 47’ 13” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 05 | 07h 37m 00s | +36° 47’ 41” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 06 | 07h 37m 01s | +36° 48’ 10” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 07 | 07h 37m 02s | +36° 48’ 39” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 08 | 07h 37m 03s | +36° 49’ 08” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 07h 37m 04s | +36° 49’ 38” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 07h 37m 05s | +36° 50’ 08” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 11 | 07h 37m 06s | +36° 50’ 38” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 12 | 07h 37m 06s | +36° 51’ 09” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 13 | 07h 37m 06s | +36° 51’ 41” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 14 | 07h 37m 06s | +36° 52’ 12” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 07h 37m 06s | +36° 52’ 44” | N.A. | Lynx |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 07h 37m 06s | +36° 53’ 17” | N.A. | Lynx |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.