C/2020 F8 (SWAN) - DISINTEGRATED |
ephemeris |
date |
magn |
radius |
delta |
ra |
dec |
elong |
phase |
PA |
Disintegration | 2 May 2020 | 5.2 | 0.747 AU | 0.703 AU | 00h04m | -13°53' | 47.8° | 88.0° | 234° |
Nearest approach | 11 May 2020 | 5.7 | 0.574 AU | 0.560 AU | 01h21m | +16°50' | 27.4° | 126.0° | 263° |
Perihelion | 26 May 2020 | 7.7 | 0.430 AU | 0.909 AU | 04h26m | +46°16' | 25.1° | 91.1° | 6° |
Today | 19 Apr 2024 | - | 13.516 AU | 14.173 AU | 04h13m | -20°47' | 47.5° | 3.1° | 130° |
C/2020 F8 (SWAN)- 2024-04-19
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 C/2020 F8 (SWAN) are:
e (Eccentricity) : 1.0001350
q (Perihelion distance) : 0.4302470
i (Inclination) : 110.57590
Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 259.82550
ω (Argument of perihelion) : 68.07430
L (Longitude of perihelion) : 218.70057
B (Latitude of perihelion) : 60.28370
T (Time of perihelion passage) : 2458996.30310
Epoch : 2024 Apr 19
Reference : MPEC 2023-J29
Classification(s): : Nearly isotropic; New (a > 10000 AU)
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 (10.00 + 5 log[∆] + 10.00 log[r]), whereas the red curve is being recalculated every 6 hours based on the available COBS/MPC observations (currently 7.59 + 5 log[∆] + 12.54 log[r]). The additional green curve shows the effect of forward scattering, occurring when the comet is between the earth and the sun, for a gas-to-dust light ratio δ90 of 0.30. (See Marcus 2007)
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
2024-04-19 00:00 UT 04 13 27.0 -20 48 48 14.161 13.509 47.9 3.2 128 27.5
2024-04-19 23:20 UT 04 13 40.6 -20 47 04 14.173 13.516 47.5 3.1 130 27.5
2024-04-20 00:00 UT 04 13 41.0 -20 47 01 14.174 13.516 47.5 3.1 130 27.5
2024-04-21 00:00 UT 04 13 55.1 -20 45 17 14.186 13.522 47.1 3.1 131 27.5
2024-04-22 00:00 UT 04 14 09.3 -20 43 35 14.198 13.529 46.7 3.1 132 27.5
2024-04-23 00:00 UT 04 14 23.7 -20 41 55 14.210 13.535 46.3 3.1 133 27.5
2024-04-24 00:00 UT 04 14 38.2 -20 40 18 14.222 13.542 45.9 3.1 134 27.5
2024-04-25 00:00 UT 04 14 52.9 -20 38 42 14.233 13.548 45.6 3.0 135 27.5
2024-04-26 00:00 UT 04 15 07.6 -20 37 09 14.245 13.555 45.2 3.0 136 27.6
2024-04-27 00:00 UT 04 15 22.5 -20 35 38 14.256 13.561 44.9 3.0 138 27.6
2024-04-28 00:00 UT 04 15 37.5 -20 34 09 14.267 13.568 44.5 3.0 139 27.6
2024-04-29 00:00 UT 04 15 52.6 -20 32 42 14.277 13.574 44.2 3.0 140 27.6
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.