124P/Mrkos |
ephemeris |
date |
magn |
radius |
delta |
ra |
dec |
elong |
phase |
PA |
Today | 20 Apr 2024 | 23.8 | 4.687 AU | 5.662 AU | 01h15m | +20°17' | 12.6° | 2.7° | 312° |
Nearest approach | 23 Feb 2026 | 18.1 | 2.033 AU | 1.302 AU | 08h21m | +60°31' | 124.5° | 23.6° | 142° |
Perihelion | 23 Jun 2026 | 18.5 | 1.731 AU | 1.969 AU | 10h17m | +08°02' | 61.5° | 31.0° | 112° |
124P/Mrkos- 2024-04-20
astro.vanbuitenen.nl
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 124P/Mrkos are:
e (Eccentricity) : 0.4867520
q (Perihelion distance) : 1.7314020
i (Inclination) : 31.44600
Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 0.06310
ω (Argument of perihelion) : 185.17610
L (Longitude of perihelion) : 4.48227
B (Latitude of perihelion) : -2.69767
T (Time of perihelion passage) : 2461215.28580
P (Orbital period in years) : 6.20
Epoch : 2024 Apr 19
Reference : MPEC 2023-T65
Classification(s): : Ecliptic; Jupiter family
Tisserand (Jupiter) : 2.742
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 gray curve is based on the absolute magnitude and slope parameter as calculated from the original MPEC, or the latest values provided by the MPC (13.50 + 5 log[∆] + 7.00 log[r]), whereas the red curve is being recalculated every 6 hours based on the available COBS/MPC observations (currently 15.34 + 5 log[∆] + 7.00 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
2024-04-20 00:00 UT 01 14 49.1 +20 16 10 5.663 4.687 12.5 2.7 313 23.8
2024-04-20 05:49 UT 01 15 01.3 +20 17 50 5.662 4.687 12.6 2.7 312 23.8
2024-04-21 00:00 UT 01 15 39.4 +20 23 02 5.660 4.685 12.9 2.7 310 23.8
2024-04-22 00:00 UT 01 16 29.8 +20 29 55 5.656 4.683 13.2 2.8 307 23.8
2024-04-23 00:00 UT 01 17 20.1 +20 36 49 5.653 4.682 13.6 2.9 305 23.8
2024-04-24 00:00 UT 01 18 10.5 +20 43 44 5.649 4.680 14.1 3.0 302 23.8
2024-04-25 00:00 UT 01 19 00.8 +20 50 41 5.645 4.678 14.5 3.1 300 23.8
2024-04-26 00:00 UT 01 19 51.1 +20 57 38 5.640 4.676 15.0 3.2 298 23.8
2024-04-27 00:00 UT 01 20 41.5 +21 04 36 5.636 4.674 15.5 3.3 296 23.8
2024-04-28 00:00 UT 01 21 31.8 +21 11 35 5.631 4.672 16.0 3.4 294 23.8
2024-04-29 00:00 UT 01 22 22.1 +21 18 36 5.626 4.669 16.6 3.5 292 23.8
2024-04-30 00:00 UT 01 23 12.3 +21 25 37 5.621 4.667 17.1 3.6 290 23.8
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.