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12P/Pons-Brooks
ephemeris date magn radius delta ra dec elong phase PA
Perihelion21 Apr 20243.70.781 AU1.605 AU03h28m+09°50'22.7°29.7°97°
Nearest approach2 Jun 20245.51.099 AU1.546 AU05h52m-19°32'45.2°40.9°157°
Today21 Jan 202514.63.877 AU4.453 AU16h53m-48°45'48.9°11.0°252°
12P/Pons-Brooks- 2025-01-21
astro.vanbuitenen.nl


 
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The interactive orbit chart above shows the comet's path through the solar system and its position at the given date. Green and blue lines are shown perpendicular to the ecliptic plane: Green if the path is above the ecliptic plane, blue if it is below. (Left-click and drag to rotate the view; Right-click and drag to move the view; Use scroll wheel to zoom in our out.)

The orbital elements of 12P/Pons-Brooks are: 

            e (Eccentricity)                : 0.9546140
            q (Perihelion distance)         : 0.7809210
            i (Inclination)                 : 74.19290
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 255.85490
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 198.99730
            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 261.21245
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : -18.25301
            T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2460421.63020
            P (Orbital period in years)     : 71.37

            Epoch                           : 2025 Jan 19
            Reference                       : MPEC 2024-UA9

            Classification(s):              : Nearly isotropic; Returning (a < 10000 AU); Halley type (P < 200 years)

The light curve chart below shows the estimated development of the comet's magnitude. Blue and black dots are visual and photometric CCD observations respectively from COBS or the MPC. The light curve is estimated manually by the author. (4.00 + 5 log[∆] + 12.50 log[r]).


The all-sky chart below shows the path of the comet over the same period as the light curve. The comet's current position is marked yellow.





The following chart shows the short-term path of the comet in a field of view that is optimized for (~10x50) binoculars and finderscopes.
A more printer-friendly version of the same chart can be found further down this page as well.


The following chart shows the current location of the comet in a smaller, upside-down telescopic field of view.


A printable version of the short-term path of the comet in a field of view that is optimized for (~10x50) binoculars and finderscopes.



Ephemerides: 
Date       Time       RA (2000)    DEC (2000)    delta   radius  elong  phase   PA    magn
2025-01-21 00:00 UT   16 53 34.6   -48 45 44     4.453    3.877   48.9   11.0   252   14.6 
2025-01-21 00:49 UT   16 53 36.5   -48 45 48     4.453    3.877   48.9   11.0   252   14.6 
2025-01-22 00:00 UT   16 54 30.6   -48 47 29     4.453    3.887   49.6   11.1   253   14.6 
2025-01-23 00:00 UT   16 55 25.7   -48 49 16     4.452    3.898   50.3   11.2   253   14.6 
2025-01-24 00:00 UT   16 56 19.8   -48 51 05     4.452    3.908   51.0   11.3   254   14.6 
2025-01-25 00:00 UT   16 57 13.0   -48 52 55     4.451    3.918   51.7   11.4   254   14.7 
2025-01-26 00:00 UT   16 58 05.2   -48 54 46     4.451    3.928   52.4   11.5   255   14.7 
2025-01-27 00:00 UT   16 58 56.3   -48 56 39     4.450    3.938   53.1   11.5   255   14.7 
2025-01-28 00:00 UT   16 59 46.5   -48 58 34     4.449    3.949   53.8   11.6   256   14.7 
2025-01-29 00:00 UT   17 00 35.7   -49 00 30     4.447    3.959   54.6   11.7   256   14.7 
2025-01-30 00:00 UT   17 01 23.8   -49 02 28     4.446    3.969   55.3   11.8   257   14.7 
2025-01-31 00:00 UT   17 02 10.9   -49 04 27     4.444    3.979   56.0   11.9   257   14.7 


































































    Terminology:
            
    delta:  distance between comet and earth in AU
    radius: distance between comet and sun in AU
    magn:   magnitude (brightness) estimate    
    ra:     right ascension in hours (24h = 360deg)
    dec:    declination in degrees
    elong:  elongation in degrees (angle sun-earth-comet)    
    phase:  phase angle in degrees (angle sun-comet-earth)        
    AU:     Astronomical Unit (mean distance between earth and sun: 149597870.7 km

Orbital elements usually provided by the MPC (Minor Planet Center).
Observations contributed by observers worldwide, via COBS (Comet Observation Database) or the MPC (Minor Planet Center)
Calculations by a modified version of AAPlus, a C# implementation of the AA+ project by PJ Naughter from the algorithms presented in the book "Astronomical Algorithms" by Jean Meeus.
NGC2000 dso catalog and star labels from VizieR as provided by the Strasbourg astronomical Data Center.
Tycho2 catalog from the ESO archive.

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