Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3)
Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) is currently in the constellation of Aquarius, at a distance of 642,654,305 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 P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- P/2016 J3 (STEREO) is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-East direction at an altitude of 35° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, P/2016 J3 (STEREO) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) 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 P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Field of view: 60x40 arcmins
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Also check out Where is Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) from Earth is currently 642,654,305 kilometers, equivalent to 4.295879 Astronomical Units. Light takes 35 minutes and 43.6640 seconds to travel from Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) 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 P/2016 J3 (STEREO) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) to Earth happens on Thu Nov 17 2072 at a distance of 0.350467 Astronomical Units, or 52,429,088 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3), 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 P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) at epoch 13 January 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459228.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.81169143 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 23.38406036° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.52636420 AU 78,742,963 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.06407920 AU 757,575,466 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
2.79522170 AU 418,159,215 km |
| Orbital period | period |
4.6734 years 1,706.9579 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2021-Jan-25 09:16:09 2,459,239.8862 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2025-Sep-28 08:15 2,460,946.8441 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 210.73647687976° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 257.78860525607° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 357.59862813385° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.21090151°/day |
Visualization of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) 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 P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet P/2016 J3 (STEREO = 2021 A3) in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 01 | 20h 44m 22s | -01° 03’ 56” | 33.61 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 02 | 20h 44m 34s | -00° 58’ 36” | 33.60 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 03 | 20h 44m 44s | -00° 53’ 16” | 33.58 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 04 | 20h 44m 53s | -00° 47’ 57” | 33.56 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 05 | 20h 45m 01s | -00° 42’ 38” | 33.55 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 06 | 20h 45m 07s | -00° 37’ 22” | 33.53 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 07 | 20h 45m 15s | -00° 32’ 06” | 33.51 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 08 | 20h 45m 20s | -00° 26’ 50” | 33.49 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 09 | 20h 45m 25s | -00° 21’ 38” | 33.48 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 10 | 20h 45m 29s | -00° 16’ 26” | 33.46 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 11 | 20h 45m 33s | -00° 11’ 15” | 33.44 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 12 | 20h 45m 34s | -00° 06’ 06” | 33.43 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 13 | 20h 45m 37s | -00° 00’ 59” | 33.41 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 14 | 20h 45m 38s | +00° 04’ 05” | 33.39 | Aquarius |