Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3)
Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) is in the constellation of
Aquarius,
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 = 2021 A3) 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 = 2021 A3)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) 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 = 2021 A3) 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 East direction at an altitude of 2.68° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, P/2016 J3 (STEREO) 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/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) 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 = 2021 A3) 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 = 2021 A3), 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 = 2021 A3) 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 |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) 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 06 | 21h 06m 14s | -00° 10’ 33” | 35.78 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 07 | 21h 07m 30s | -00° 04’ 21” | 35.74 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 08 | 21h 08m 46s | +00° 01’ 56” | 35.70 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 09 | 21h 10m 02s | +00° 08’ 18” | 35.66 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 10 | 21h 11m 19s | +00° 14’ 47” | 35.62 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 11 | 21h 12m 35s | +00° 21’ 20” | 35.58 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 12 | 21h 13m 52s | +00° 28’ 00” | 35.54 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 13 | 21h 15m 09s | +00° 34’ 45” | 35.50 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 14 | 21h 16m 27s | +00° 41’ 34” | 35.46 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 15 | 21h 17m 44s | +00° 48’ 29” | 35.42 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 16 | 21h 19m 02s | +00° 55’ 30” | 35.38 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 17 | 21h 20m 19s | +01° 02’ 37” | 35.34 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 18 | 21h 21m 37s | +01° 09’ 49” | 35.30 | Aquarius |
2025 Feb 19 | 21h 22m 55s | +01° 17’ 07” | 35.25 | Aquarius |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) from Earth?)
- When does Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) 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/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.