C/2019 A9 (PANSTARRS)
ephemeris date magn radius delta ra dec elong phase PA
Perihelion26 Jul 201912.51.428 AU2.139 AU07h28m-12°48'34.8°24.0°202°
Nearest approach4 Sep 201912.61.534 AU1.917 AU09h21m-41°21'52.8°31.6°208°
Today31 Oct 202427.014.943 AU15.372 AU18h27m+01°12'62.7°3.4°73°
C/2019 A9 (PANSTARRS)- 2024-10-31
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)                : 0.9635930
            q (Perihelion distance)         : 1.4282660
            i (Inclination)                 : 84.37820
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 278.46040
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 237.89190
            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 287.33351
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : -57.45537
            T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2458691.11410
            P (Orbital period in years)     : 245.72

            Epoch                           : 2024 Oct 29
            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 9.32 + 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
2024-10-31 00:00 UT   18 27 13.4   +01 12 21    15.371   14.943   62.7    3.4    73   27.0 
2024-10-31 01:08 UT   18 27 13.8   +01 12 19    15.372   14.943   62.7    3.4    73   27.0 
2024-11-01 00:00 UT   18 27 22.1   +01 11 33    15.390   14.948   61.9    3.4    73   27.0 
2024-11-02 00:00 UT   18 27 31.0   +01 10 46    15.408   14.953   61.0    3.3    72   27.0 
2024-11-03 00:00 UT   18 27 40.2   +01 09 59    15.427   14.958   60.2    3.3    72   27.0 
2024-11-04 00:00 UT   18 27 49.5   +01 09 14    15.445   14.964   59.3    3.3    71   27.0 
2024-11-05 00:00 UT   18 27 59.0   +01 08 31    15.463   14.969   58.5    3.2    71   27.0 
2024-11-06 00:00 UT   18 28 08.7   +01 07 48    15.481   14.974   57.6    3.2    70   27.0 
2024-11-07 00:00 UT   18 28 18.6   +01 07 07    15.499   14.980   56.8    3.2    70   27.0 
2024-11-08 00:00 UT   18 28 28.7   +01 06 27    15.517   14.985   56.0    3.1    69   27.0 
2024-11-09 00:00 UT   18 28 38.9   +01 05 48    15.534   14.990   55.1    3.1    69   27.0 
2024-11-10 00:00 UT   18 28 49.4   +01 05 10    15.552   14.996   54.3    3.1    68   27.0 

































































    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.