C/2021 O3 (PANSTARRS) - DISINTEGRATED |
ephemeris |
date |
magn |
radius |
delta |
ra |
dec |
elong |
phase |
PA |
Disintegration | 21 Apr 2022 | 9.4 | 0.285 AU | 0.977 AU | 02h50m | +03°12' | 16.5° | 87.3° | 122° |
Perihelion | 21 Apr 2022 | - | 0.285 AU | 0.963 AU | 02h52m | +03°35' | 16.5° | 90.0° | 121° |
Nearest approach | 8 May 2022 | 12.3 | 0.591 AU | 0.605 AU | 04h00m | +46°50' | 32.0° | 115.2° | 27° |
Today | 8 Oct 2025 | - | 12.601 AU | 12.480 AU | 19h02m | +33°20' | 94.6° | 4.5° | 86° |
C/2021 O3 (PANSTARRS)- 2025-10-08
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/2021 O3 (PANSTARRS) are:
e (Eccentricity) : 1.0000560
q (Perihelion distance) : 0.2849310
i (Inclination) : 56.83820
Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 188.73100
ω (Argument of perihelion) : 300.04590
L (Longitude of perihelion) : 145.32987
B (Latitude of perihelion) : -46.43888
T (Time of perihelion passage) : 2459690.84630
Epoch : 2025 Oct 07
Reference : MPEC 2022-L66
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 (10.50 + 5 log[∆] + 10.00 log[r]), whereas the red curve is being recalculated every 6 hours based on the available COBS/MPC observations (currently 12.58 + 5 log[∆] + 5.69 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
2025-10-08 00:00 UT 19 02 20.7 +33 22 53 12.471 12.597 94.9 4.5 86 24.3
2025-10-08 12:44 UT 19 02 22.1 +33 20 49 12.480 12.601 94.6 4.5 86 24.3
2025-10-09 00:00 UT 19 02 23.5 +33 18 58 12.488 12.604 94.4 4.5 86 24.3
2025-10-10 00:00 UT 19 02 26.6 +33 15 04 12.504 12.611 93.8 4.5 85 24.3
2025-10-11 00:00 UT 19 02 30.0 +33 11 11 12.521 12.618 93.3 4.5 84 24.3
2025-10-12 00:00 UT 19 02 33.9 +33 07 19 12.537 12.625 92.7 4.5 83 24.3
2025-10-13 00:00 UT 19 02 38.1 +33 03 29 12.554 12.631 92.2 4.5 82 24.3
2025-10-14 00:00 UT 19 02 42.7 +32 59 39 12.570 12.638 91.6 4.5 81 24.3
2025-10-15 00:00 UT 19 02 47.6 +32 55 51 12.587 12.645 91.1 4.5 81 24.3
2025-10-16 00:00 UT 19 02 52.9 +32 52 04 12.603 12.652 90.5 4.5 80 24.4
2025-10-17 00:00 UT 19 02 58.6 +32 48 19 12.620 12.658 89.9 4.5 79 24.4
2025-10-18 00:00 UT 19 03 04.6 +32 44 35 12.636 12.665 89.4 4.5 78 24.4
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.