Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO)
Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) is in the constellation of
Andromeda,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) 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 P/2016 J3 (STEREO) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- P/2016 J3 (STEREO) is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-East direction at an altitude of 64.12° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, P/2016 J3 (STEREO) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) 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 P/2016 J3 (STEREO) 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 P/2016 J3 (STEREO) to Earth happens on Thu Nov 17 2072 at a distance of 0.350462 Astronomical Units, or 52,428,374 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO), according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) at epoch 14 January 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459229.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.81169171 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 23.38407787° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.52636423 AU 78,742,969 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.06408784 AU 757,576,760 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
2.79522604 AU 418,159,864 km |
| Orbital period | period |
4.6734 years 1,706.9619 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2021-Jan-25 09:16:09 2,459,239.8862 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2025-Sep-28 08:21 2,460,946.8481 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 210.73647174322° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 257.78860103944° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 357.80953551241° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.21090102°/day |
View Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) 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 Jun 06 | 00h 09m 48s | +24° 06’ 06” | 28.13 | Pegasus |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 00h 11m 57s | +24° 25’ 47” | 28.03 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 00h 14m 07s | +24° 45’ 38” | 27.93 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 00h 16m 18s | +25° 05’ 39” | 27.82 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 00h 18m 31s | +25° 25’ 50” | 27.72 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 00h 20m 46s | +25° 46’ 12” | 27.61 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 00h 23m 03s | +26° 06’ 43” | 27.51 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 00h 25m 23s | +26° 27’ 26” | 27.40 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 00h 27m 43s | +26° 48’ 18” | 27.29 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 00h 30m 06s | +27° 09’ 20” | 27.18 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 00h 32m 31s | +27° 30’ 34” | 27.07 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 00h 34m 58s | +27° 51’ 58” | 26.96 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 00h 37m 29s | +28° 13’ 32” | 26.84 | Andromeda |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 00h 40m 00s | +28° 35’ 16” | 26.73 | Andromeda |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO)?: Key information on locating Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO) with respect to the major Solar System objects.