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 Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- 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 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 |
Orbit Visualization
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 Feb 10 | 09h 00m 41s | +01° 53’ 12” | 24.31 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 11 | 08h 59m 56s | +01° 56’ 20” | 24.32 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 12 | 08h 59m 12s | +01° 59’ 32” | 24.32 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 13 | 08h 58m 27s | +02° 02’ 47” | 24.33 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 14 | 08h 57m 44s | +02° 06’ 06” | 24.34 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 15 | 08h 57m 00s | +02° 09’ 29” | 24.34 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 16 | 08h 56m 17s | +02° 12’ 55” | 24.35 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 17 | 08h 55m 35s | +02° 16’ 24” | 24.36 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 18 | 08h 54m 53s | +02° 19’ 55” | 24.37 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 19 | 08h 54m 11s | +02° 23’ 29” | 24.37 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 20 | 08h 53m 30s | +02° 27’ 05” | 24.38 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 21 | 08h 52m 50s | +02° 30’ 44” | 24.39 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 22 | 08h 52m 11s | +02° 34’ 25” | 24.40 | Hydra |
2025 Feb 23 | 08h 51m 32s | +02° 38’ 07” | 24.41 | Hydra |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) from Earth?)
- When does Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.