C/2020 F8 (SWAN) - DISINTEGRATED
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase	PA
Disintegration	2 May 2020	5.2	0.717 AU	0.678 AU	00h05m	-09°40'	45.3°	92.5°	237°
Nearest approach	10 May 2020	5.5	0.573 AU	0.571 AU	01h12m	+17°18'	28.0°	124.1°	265°
Perihelion	25 May 2020	7.3	0.435 AU	0.906 AU	04h15m	+46°20'	25.4°	91.1°	4°
Today	19 May 2026	-	18.088 AU	18.802 AU	04h18m	-23°20'	43.9°	2.2°	169°

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 7.8 + 5 log[∆] + 12.2 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/2020 F8 (SWAN) are:

    e (Eccentricity)                : 0.9997770
    q (Perihelion distance)         : 0.4350690
    i (Inclination)                 : 110.60030
    Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 259.85600
    ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 68.18310
    L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 218.54288
    B (Latitude of perihelion)      : 60.34423
    T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2458994.58200
    P (Orbital period in years)     : 86174.73

    Epoch                           : 2026 May 19
    Reference                       : MPEC 2026-E44

    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
2026-05-18 00:00 UT   04 18 17.2   -23 21 23    18.791   18.077   43.9    2.2   166   29.4 
2026-05-19 00:00 UT   04 18 30.2   -23 20 50    18.797   18.082   43.9    2.2   167   29.4 
2026-05-19 22:22 UT   04 18 42.3   -23 20 21    18.802   18.088   43.9    2.2   169   29.4 
2026-05-20 00:00 UT   04 18 43.2   -23 20 19    18.802   18.088   43.9    2.2   169   29.4 
2026-05-21 00:00 UT   04 18 56.2   -23 19 50    18.808   18.094   44.0    2.2   170   29.4 
2026-05-22 00:00 UT   04 19 09.3   -23 19 23    18.813   18.099   44.0    2.2   171   29.4 
2026-05-23 00:00 UT   04 19 22.3   -23 18 58    18.817   18.105   44.1    2.2   173   29.4 
2026-05-24 00:00 UT   04 19 35.4   -23 18 35    18.822   18.110   44.2    2.2   174   29.4 
2026-05-25 00:00 UT   04 19 48.5   -23 18 15    18.827   18.116   44.3    2.2   175   29.4 
2026-05-26 00:00 UT   04 20 01.6   -23 17 56    18.831   18.122   44.4    2.2   177   29.4 
2026-05-27 00:00 UT   04 20 14.7   -23 17 40    18.835   18.127   44.5    2.2   178   29.4 
2026-05-28 00:00 UT   04 20 27.8   -23 17 26    18.839   18.133   44.7    2.3   179   29.4 
2026-05-29 00:00 UT   04 20 40.9   -23 17 14    18.843   18.139   44.8    2.3   180   29.4 

    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.