Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is currently in the constellation of Taurus, at a distance of 833,842,882 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 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Given its current magnitude, 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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.
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Position and Finder Charts
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
View fullscreen
Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Field of view: 60x40 arcmins
View fullscreen
Also check out Where is Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth is currently 833,842,882 kilometers, equivalent to 5.573895 Astronomical Units. Light takes 46 minutes and 21.4005 seconds to travel from Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann to Earth happens on Wed Aug 5 2048 at a distance of 0.115627 Astronomical Units, or 17,297,528 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, 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 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 01 | 04h 15m 11s | +21° 29’ 04” | 29.65 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 02 | 04h 16m 05s | +21° 31’ 50” | 29.65 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 03 | 04h 16m 58s | +21° 34’ 36” | 29.66 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 04 | 04h 17m 52s | +21° 37’ 19” | 29.67 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 05 | 04h 18m 45s | +21° 40’ 04” | 29.67 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 06 | 04h 19m 38s | +21° 42’ 46” | 29.68 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 07 | 04h 20m 33s | +21° 45’ 28” | 29.69 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 08 | 04h 21m 26s | +21° 48’ 08” | 29.69 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 09 | 04h 22m 20s | +21° 50’ 48” | 29.70 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 10 | 04h 23m 16s | +21° 53’ 26” | 29.70 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 11 | 04h 24m 10s | +21° 56’ 04” | 29.71 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 12 | 04h 25m 04s | +21° 58’ 41” | 29.71 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 13 | 04h 25m 59s | +22° 01’ 18” | 29.72 | Taurus |
| 2024 May 14 | 04h 26m 53s | +22° 03’ 52” | 29.72 | Taurus |