C/2018 F4 (PANSTARRS) - DISINTEGRATED
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase	PA
Nearest approach	6 May 2019	14.5	3.939 AU	3.253 AU	11h54m	-58°59'	126.6°	11.9°	56°
Perihelion	30 Nov 2019	13.8	3.449 AU	3.793 AU	14h01m	-82°32'	62.4°	14.7°	218°
Disintegration	12 Sep 2020	15.6	4.316 AU	3.725 AU	03h01m	-37°16'	119.9°	11.7°	289°
Today	31 Jan 2026	-	16.141 AU	16.293 AU	01h01m	+36°18'	79.3°	3.4°	59°

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.)

Light curve

The light curve chart below shows the estimated development of the comet's magnitude. Blue and black dots are visual and photometric CCD observations from COBS. This lightcurve is being recalculated every 6 hours based on the available COBS/MPC observations (currently .8 + 5 log[∆] + 18.8 log[r]). An additional green curve is displayed when an increase in apparent brightness is expected due to forward scattering of sunlight, which occurs when a dust-rich comet is located between the Earth and the Sun. (See Marcus 2007)

Charts

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.

Orbital elements

The orbital elements of C/2018 F4 (PANSTARRS) are:

    e (Eccentricity)                : 0.9978860
    q (Perihelion distance)         : 3.4488560
    i (Inclination)                 : 78.16200
    Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 26.55100
    ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 263.18750
    L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 86.33709
    B (Latitude of perihelion)      : -76.36602
    T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2458818.07580
    P (Orbital period in years)     : 65895.40

    Epoch                           : 2025 Nov 12
    Reference                       : MPEC 2023-A50

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

Ephemerides

Date       Time       RA (2000)    DEC (2000)    delta   radius  elong  phase   PA    magn
2026-01-30 00:00 UT   01 01 01.1   +36 19 05    16.268   16.134   80.4    3.5    59   29.6 
2026-01-31 00:00 UT   01 01 07.4   +36 18 30    16.288   16.139   79.6    3.4    59   29.6 
2026-01-31 05:31 UT   01 01 08.9   +36 18 22    16.293   16.141   79.3    3.4    59   29.6 
2026-02-01 00:00 UT   01 01 13.9   +36 17 56    16.309   16.145   78.7    3.4    58   29.6 
2026-02-02 00:00 UT   01 01 20.6   +36 17 25    16.329   16.150   77.8    3.4    58   29.6 
2026-02-03 00:00 UT   01 01 27.6   +36 16 56    16.350   16.155   76.9    3.4    58   29.6 
2026-02-04 00:00 UT   01 01 34.9   +36 16 28    16.370   16.161   76.0    3.4    57   29.6 
2026-02-05 00:00 UT   01 01 42.3   +36 16 03    16.390   16.166   75.2    3.4    57   29.6 
2026-02-06 00:00 UT   01 01 50.0   +36 15 40    16.410   16.171   74.3    3.4    56   29.6 
2026-02-07 00:00 UT   01 01 58.0   +36 15 19    16.430   16.177   73.4    3.3    56   29.6 
2026-02-08 00:00 UT   01 02 06.1   +36 14 60    16.450   16.182   72.5    3.3    55   29.6 
2026-02-09 00:00 UT   01 02 14.5   +36 14 43    16.470   16.187   71.7    3.3    55   29.6 
2026-02-10 00:00 UT   01 02 23.1   +36 14 28    16.490   16.193   70.8    3.3    54   29.6 

    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.