Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)
Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) is in the constellation of
Hydra,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) 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/2017 S5 (ATLAS) from Biola, United States (all times relative to the local timezone America/Los_Angeles):
- P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) is below the horizon from Biola, United States.
- Given its current magnitude, P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) 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/2017 S5 (ATLAS) 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/2017 S5 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Fri Sep 15 2045 at a distance of 1.194405 Astronomical Units, or 178,680,418 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/2017 S5 (ATLAS), 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/2017 S5 (ATLAS) at epoch 22 November 2017 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458080.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.31304498 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 11.84937248° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.17822414 AU 325,857,693 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.16345496 AU 622,843,997 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.17083955 AU 474,350,845 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.6464 years 2,062.3379 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2017-Jul-28 00:34:23 2,457,962.5239 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2023-Mar-21 08:40 2,460,024.8618 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 99.944336594401° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 252.39100053319° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 20.593813851164° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.17455917°/day |
View Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) 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 22 | 08h 56m 31s | +05° 43’ 17” | 25.43 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 23 | 08h 57m 11s | +05° 42’ 26” | 25.44 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 24 | 08h 57m 51s | +05° 41’ 30” | 25.45 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 25 | 08h 58m 33s | +05° 40’ 29” | 25.46 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 26 | 08h 59m 15s | +05° 39’ 25” | 25.47 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 27 | 08h 59m 57s | +05° 38’ 16” | 25.48 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 28 | 09h 00m 40s | +05° 37’ 03” | 25.49 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 29 | 09h 01m 23s | +05° 35’ 46” | 25.50 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 30 | 09h 02m 07s | +05° 34’ 25” | 25.51 | Hydra |
| 2025 May 31 | 09h 02m 51s | +05° 32’ 59” | 25.52 | Hydra |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 09h 03m 36s | +05° 31’ 29” | 25.53 | Hydra |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 09h 04m 21s | +05° 29’ 55” | 25.54 | Hydra |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 09h 05m 07s | +05° 28’ 16” | 25.55 | Hydra |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 09h 05m 53s | +05° 26’ 34” | 25.56 | Hydra |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)?: Key information on locating Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.