Comet 240P/NEAT
Comet 240P/NEAT is currently in the constellation of Microscopium, at a distance of 597,986,945 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 240P/NEAT from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 240P/NEAT is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Given its current magnitude, 240P/NEAT is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 240P/NEAT 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 240P/NEAT is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 240P/NEAT?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 240P/NEAT in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 240P/NEAT Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 240P/NEAT from Earth is currently 597,986,945 kilometers, equivalent to 3.997296 Astronomical Units. Light takes 33 minutes and 14.6697 seconds to travel from Comet 240P/NEAT and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 240P/NEAT 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 240P/NEAT from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 240P/NEAT to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 240P/NEAT to Earth happens on Thu Nov 25 2055 at a distance of 1.118207 Astronomical Units, or 167,281,380 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 240P/NEAT Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 240P/NEAT, 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 240P/NEAT Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 240P/NEAT at epoch 13 March 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456730.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.44979153 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 23.52457999° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.12840301 AU 318,404,558 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.60831184 AU 838,991,511 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.86835742 AU 578,698,034 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.6085 years 2,778.9985 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2010-Oct-04 18:16:27 2,455,474.2614 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2018-May-14 18:14 2,458,253.2600 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 352.15238932078° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 74.951857672022° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 162.73700010059° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.12954307°/day |
Visualization of Comet 240P/NEAT Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 240P/NEAT with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 240P/NEAT 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 240P/NEAT in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 240P/NEAT 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 240P/NEAT computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 240P/NEAT in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 01 | 21h 15m 47s | -33° 24’ 11” | 19.12 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 02 | 21h 16m 23s | -33° 27’ 20” | 19.11 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 03 | 21h 17m 00s | -33° 30’ 33” | 19.10 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 04 | 21h 17m 38s | -33° 33’ 53” | 19.08 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 05 | 21h 18m 12s | -33° 37’ 18” | 19.07 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 06 | 21h 18m 47s | -33° 40’ 50” | 19.06 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 07 | 21h 19m 22s | -33° 44’ 26” | 19.05 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 08 | 21h 19m 54s | -33° 48’ 09” | 19.04 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 09 | 21h 20m 27s | -33° 51’ 56” | 19.02 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 10 | 21h 20m 58s | -33° 55’ 50” | 19.01 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 11 | 21h 21m 29s | -33° 59’ 49” | 19.00 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 12 | 21h 22m 00s | -34° 03’ 56” | 18.99 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 13 | 21h 22m 28s | -34° 08’ 08” | 18.98 | Microscopium |
| 2024 May 14 | 21h 22m 57s | -34° 12’ 24” | 18.96 | Microscopium |