Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet 141P/Machholz in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet 141P/Machholz
Comet 141P/Machholz is in the constellation of Libra, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 141P/Machholz in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet 141P/Machholz against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial 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
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet 141P/Machholz from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
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.
Distance from Earth
The distance of comet 141P/Machholz from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 141P/Machholz from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 141P/Machholz from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2013 and December 30, 2100, the closest approach of comet 141P/Machholz to Earth will happen on Monday 17 December 2057 at a distance of 0.125073 Astronomical Units, or 18,710,613 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet 141P/Machholz, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet 141P/Machholz 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10 2025 | 15h 59m 58s | -16° 32’ 30” | 24.41 | Libra |
| Jul 11 2025 | 15h 59m 19s | -16° 29’ 28” | 24.41 | Libra |
| Jul 12 2025 | 15h 58m 41s | -16° 26’ 32” | 24.41 | Libra |
| Jul 13 2025 | 15h 58m 05s | -16° 23’ 40” | 24.41 | Libra |
| Jul 14 2025 | 15h 57m 29s | -16° 20’ 52” | 24.41 | Libra |
| Jul 15 2025 | 15h 56m 55s | -16° 18’ 09” | 24.41 | Libra |
| Jul 16 2025 | 15h 56m 22s | -16° 15’ 31” | 24.41 | Libra |
| Jul 17 2025 | 15h 55m 51s | -16° 12’ 58” | 24.42 | Libra |
| Jul 18 2025 | 15h 55m 22s | -16° 10’ 31” | 24.42 | Libra |
| Jul 19 2025 | 15h 54m 53s | -16° 08’ 08” | 24.42 | Libra |
| Jul 20 2025 | 15h 54m 26s | -16° 05’ 51” | 24.42 | Libra |
| Jul 21 2025 | 15h 54m 01s | -16° 03’ 38” | 24.42 | Libra |
| Jul 22 2025 | 15h 53m 37s | -16° 01’ 31” | 24.42 | Libra |
| Jul 23 2025 | 15h 53m 14s | -15° 59’ 30” | 24.42 | Libra |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 141P/Machholz: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 141P/Machholz?: Key information on where to find comet 141P/Machholz in the sky.
- Distance of comet 141P/Machholz from Earth: Find out how far comet 141P/Machholz is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 141P/Machholz?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 141P/Machholz from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 141P/Machholz's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 141P/Machholz's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 141P/Machholz's computed ephemeris.