Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf
Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is currently in the constellation of Scorpius, at a distance of 4,868,525,738 kilometers from Earth.
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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.
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Given its current magnitude, 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf Position and Finder Charts
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf from Earth is currently 4,868,525,738 kilometers, equivalent to 32.544084 Astronomical Units. Light takes 4 hours, 30 minutes and 39.6538 seconds to travel from Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf 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 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf to Earth happens on Tue Jun 10 2059 at a distance of 1.485167 Astronomical Units, or 222,177,799 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf, 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.
Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf at epoch 30 September 1989 00:00 UTC (JD: 2447800.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.97195226 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 19.33394047° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.47875271 AU 71,620,386 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
33.65966096 AU 5,035,413,618 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
17.06920683 AU 2,553,517,002 km |
| Orbital period | period |
70.5226 years 25,758.3736 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 1989-Sep-11 22:29:54 2,447,781.4374 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2060-Mar-21 07:27 2,473,539.8111 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 129.61068367887° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 311.58546221411° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 0.26641915255031° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.01397604°/day |
Visualization of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
View Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 10 | 17h 29m 16s | -38° 27’ 24” | 27.56 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 11 | 17h 29m 08s | -38° 27’ 34” | 27.56 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 12 | 17h 29m 00s | -38° 27’ 44” | 27.56 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 13 | 17h 28m 53s | -38° 27’ 55” | 27.56 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 14 | 17h 28m 45s | -38° 28’ 04” | 27.56 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 15 | 17h 28m 37s | -38° 28’ 13” | 27.56 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 16 | 17h 28m 30s | -38° 28’ 20” | 27.56 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 17 | 17h 28m 22s | -38° 28’ 27” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 18 | 17h 28m 14s | -38° 28’ 36” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 19 | 17h 28m 06s | -38° 28’ 41” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 20 | 17h 27m 59s | -38° 28’ 47” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 21 | 17h 27m 50s | -38° 28’ 54” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 22 | 17h 27m 42s | -38° 28’ 59” | 27.55 | Scorpius |
| 2024 May 23 | 17h 27m 33s | -38° 29’ 03” | 27.55 | Scorpius |