C/2019 A9 (PANSTARRS)
ephemeris date magn radius delta ra dec elong phase PA
Perihelion27 Jul 201912.51.427 AU2.137 AU07h29m-12°50'34.9°24.0°203°
Nearest approach4 Sep 201912.61.532 AU1.916 AU09h22m-41°21'52.7°31.6°208°
Today1 Apr 202527.315.743 AU15.766 AU18h54m+03°31'86.8°3.6°266°
C/2019 A9 (PANSTARRS)- 2025-04-01
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 C/2019 A9 (PANSTARRS) are:

            e (Eccentricity)                : 0.9636790
            q (Perihelion distance)         : 1.4270110
            i (Inclination)                 : 84.39610
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 278.46910
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 237.88210
            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 287.31119
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : -57.44849
            T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2458691.55470
            P (Orbital period in years)     : 246.27

            Epoch                           : 2025 Mar 31
            Reference                       : MPC118842

            Classification(s):              : Nearly isotropic; Returning (a < 10000 AU); External (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 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 (15.00 + 5 log[∆] + 10.00 log[r]), whereas the red curve is being recalculated every 6 hours based on the available COBS/MPC observations (currently 9.33 + 5 log[∆] + 10.00 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
2025-04-01 00:00 UT   18 54 51.7   +03 30 23    15.772   15.740   86.3    3.6   266   27.3 
2025-04-01 14:28 UT   18 54 51.9   +03 31 37    15.766   15.743   86.8    3.6   266   27.3 
2025-04-02 00:00 UT   18 54 52.0   +03 32 27    15.762   15.745   87.2    3.6   265   27.3 
2025-04-03 00:00 UT   18 54 52.0   +03 34 31    15.752   15.750   88.1    3.6   265   27.3 
2025-04-04 00:00 UT   18 54 51.7   +03 36 35    15.742   15.755   88.9    3.6   264   27.3 
2025-04-05 00:00 UT   18 54 51.2   +03 38 38    15.731   15.760   89.8    3.6   264   27.3 
2025-04-06 00:00 UT   18 54 50.5   +03 40 42    15.721   15.766   90.7    3.6   264   27.3 
2025-04-07 00:00 UT   18 54 49.4   +03 42 45    15.711   15.771   91.6    3.6   263   27.3 
2025-04-08 00:00 UT   18 54 48.2   +03 44 47    15.701   15.776   92.5    3.6   263   27.3 
2025-04-09 00:00 UT   18 54 46.6   +03 46 50    15.690   15.781   93.3    3.6   262   27.3 
2025-04-10 00:00 UT   18 54 44.8   +03 48 52    15.680   15.786   94.2    3.6   262   27.3 
2025-04-11 00:00 UT   18 54 42.8   +03 50 54    15.670   15.791   95.1    3.6   261   27.3 

































































    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.