Comet 242P/Spahr
Comet 242P/Spahr is currently in the constellation of Cetus, at a distance of 753,722,091 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 242P/Spahr from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 242P/Spahr is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Right now it is placed in the East direction at an altitude of 4° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 242P/Spahr is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 242P/Spahr is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 242P/Spahr?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 242P/Spahr in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 242P/Spahr Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 242P/Spahr from Earth is currently 753,722,091 kilometers, equivalent to 5.038321 Astronomical Units. Light takes 41 minutes and 54.1463 seconds to travel from Comet 242P/Spahr and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 242P/Spahr 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 242P/Spahr from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 242P/Spahr to Earth
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 242P/Spahr to Earth happens on Fri Oct 17 2036 at a distance of 3.065836 Astronomical Units, or 458,642,481 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 242P/Spahr Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 242P/Spahr, 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 242P/Spahr Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 242P/Spahr at epoch 30 September 2010 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455470.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.31060857 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 32.70387937° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.91921318 AU 586,305,948 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
7.45085331 AU 1,114,631,792 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.68503324 AU 850,468,870 km |
| Orbital period | period |
13.5553 years 4,951.0572 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2012-Mar-31 17:06:43 2,456,018.2130 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2025-Oct-20 18:29 2,460,969.2702 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 248.52949968913° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 181.02804796066° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 320.17483230633° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.07271174°/day |
Visualization of Comet 242P/Spahr Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 242P/Spahr with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 242P/Spahr 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 242P/Spahr in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 242P/Spahr 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 242P/Spahr computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 242P/Spahr in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 01 | 02h 13m 55s | -00° 50’ 29” | 19.18 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 02 | 02h 15m 05s | -00° 47’ 48” | 19.17 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 03 | 02h 16m 14s | -00° 45’ 11” | 19.17 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 04 | 02h 17m 24s | -00° 42’ 36” | 19.17 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 05 | 02h 18m 33s | -00° 40’ 04” | 19.16 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 06 | 02h 19m 41s | -00° 37’ 35” | 19.16 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 07 | 02h 20m 51s | -00° 35’ 08” | 19.16 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 08 | 02h 22m 00s | -00° 32’ 47” | 19.15 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 09 | 02h 23m 08s | -00° 30’ 26” | 19.15 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 10 | 02h 24m 17s | -00° 28’ 10” | 19.15 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 11 | 02h 25m 27s | -00° 25’ 59” | 19.14 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 12 | 02h 26m 36s | -00° 23’ 49” | 19.14 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 13 | 02h 27m 46s | -00° 21’ 43” | 19.13 | Cetus |
| 2024 May 14 | 02h 28m 54s | -00° 19’ 41” | 19.13 | Cetus |