Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS)
Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) is currently in the constellation of Pisces, at a distance of 1,214,765,700 kilometers from Earth.
View interactive star map
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 C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-West direction at an altitude of 40° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is currently 1,214,765,700 kilometers, equivalent to 8.120207 Astronomical Units. Light takes 1 hours, 7 minutes and 32.0222 seconds to travel from Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) to Earth
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) to Earth happens on Tue Nov 30 2021 at a distance of 4.473831 Astronomical Units, or 669,275,569 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS), 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 C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) at epoch 17 February 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459628.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00141468 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 167.03590981° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 5.35368850 AU 800,900,402 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Apr-07 22:53:46 2,459,677.4540 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 69.530896959178° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 120.01415610353° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.00020725187458197° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000423°/day |
Visualization of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 01 | 23h 09m 02s | +03° 36’ 01” | 21.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 02 | 23h 09m 06s | +03° 36’ 51” | 21.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 03 | 23h 09m 10s | +03° 37’ 40” | 21.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 04 | 23h 09m 14s | +03° 38’ 26” | 21.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 05 | 23h 09m 16s | +03° 39’ 12” | 21.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 06 | 23h 09m 19s | +03° 39’ 56” | 21.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 07 | 23h 09m 21s | +03° 40’ 37” | 21.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 08 | 23h 09m 23s | +03° 41’ 18” | 21.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 09 | 23h 09m 24s | +03° 41’ 57” | 21.21 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 10 | 23h 09m 25s | +03° 42’ 33” | 21.21 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 11 | 23h 09m 26s | +03° 43’ 09” | 21.21 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 12 | 23h 09m 26s | +03° 43’ 41” | 21.21 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 13 | 23h 09m 26s | +03° 44’ 12” | 21.21 | Pisces |
| 2024 May 14 | 23h 09m 25s | +03° 44’ 40” | 21.21 | Pisces |