Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet 65P/Gunn in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet 65P/Gunn
Comet 65P/Gunn is in the constellation of Sagittarius, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 65P/Gunn 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 65P/Gunn 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 65P/Gunn 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 65P/Gunn from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 65P/Gunn 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 65P/Gunn 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, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet 65P/Gunn to Earth happened on Saturday 28 June 2003 at a distance of 1.455606 Astronomical Units, or 217,755,551 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 65P/Gunn, 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.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet 65P/Gunn at epoch January, 04 2020 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458853.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.24998584 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.18417504° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.91243893 AU 435,694,663 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.85391827 AU 726,135,839 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.88317860 AU 580,915,251 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.6523 years 2,794.9850 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | October 17, 2017 2,458,044.1190 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | June 12, 2025 2,460,839.1040 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 213.74047112081° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 62.020907620446° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 104.24999100835° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.12880212°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 65P/Gunn relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet 65P/Gunn 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 | 18h 32m 35s | -31° 57’ 49” | 15.75 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 11 2025 | 18h 31m 50s | -32° 00’ 07” | 15.75 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 12 2025 | 18h 31m 05s | -32° 02’ 19” | 15.75 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 13 2025 | 18h 30m 21s | -32° 04’ 24” | 15.76 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 14 2025 | 18h 29m 38s | -32° 06’ 24” | 15.76 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 15 2025 | 18h 28m 55s | -32° 08’ 16” | 15.77 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 16 2025 | 18h 28m 13s | -32° 10’ 04” | 15.77 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 17 2025 | 18h 27m 32s | -32° 11’ 45” | 15.78 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 18 2025 | 18h 26m 52s | -32° 13’ 21” | 15.78 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 19 2025 | 18h 26m 13s | -32° 14’ 50” | 15.79 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 20 2025 | 18h 25m 35s | -32° 16’ 14” | 15.80 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 21 2025 | 18h 24m 57s | -32° 17’ 32” | 15.80 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 22 2025 | 18h 24m 21s | -32° 18’ 44” | 15.81 | Sagittarius |
| Jul 23 2025 | 18h 23m 46s | -32° 19’ 51” | 15.81 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 65P/Gunn: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 65P/Gunn?: Key information on where to find comet 65P/Gunn in the sky.
- Distance of comet 65P/Gunn from Earth: Find out how far comet 65P/Gunn is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 65P/Gunn?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 65P/Gunn from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 65P/Gunn's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 65P/Gunn's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 65P/Gunn's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet 65P/Gunn orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet 65P/Gunn with respect to the major Solar System objects.