Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS)
Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) is in the constellation of
Pisces,
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 P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, P/2023 M4 (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.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet P/2023 M4 (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/2023 M4 (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/2023 M4 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Tue Jun 13 2084 at a distance of 2.807898 Astronomical Units, or 420,055,594 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/2023 M4 (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/2023 M4 (ATLAS) at epoch 29 June 2023 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460125.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.27943237 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 7.59250548° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.92941954 AU 587,832,798 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.97703634 AU 1,043,749,783 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.45322794 AU 815,791,290 km |
| Orbital period | period |
12.7347 years 4,651.3488 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Apr-15 02:08:21 2,459,684.5891 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2035-Jan-08 10:30 2,464,335.9379 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 320.68668189847° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 296.2958245651° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 34.12513635763° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.07739691°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet P/2023 M4 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Oct 04 | 23h 34m 17s | +06° 12’ 51” | 17.48 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 05 | 23h 33m 51s | +06° 09’ 47” | 17.48 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 06 | 23h 33m 25s | +06° 06’ 42” | 17.49 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 07 | 23h 32m 59s | +06° 03’ 39” | 17.49 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 08 | 23h 32m 34s | +06° 00’ 35” | 17.50 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 09 | 23h 32m 09s | +05° 57’ 33” | 17.50 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 10 | 23h 31m 45s | +05° 54’ 31” | 17.51 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 11 | 23h 31m 21s | +05° 51’ 29” | 17.51 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 12 | 23h 30m 57s | +05° 48’ 29” | 17.52 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 13 | 23h 30m 35s | +05° 45’ 31” | 17.52 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 14 | 23h 30m 12s | +05° 42’ 34” | 17.53 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 23h 29m 50s | +05° 39’ 38” | 17.53 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 23h 29m 29s | +05° 36’ 44” | 17.54 | Pisces |
| 2024 Oct 17 | 23h 29m 08s | +05° 33’ 51” | 17.54 | Pisces |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) from Earth?)
- When does Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet P/2023 M4 (ATLAS) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet P/2023 M4 (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/2023 M4 (ATLAS) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.