A/2024 W2
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase	PA
Nearest approach	13 Dec 2024	20.7	3.781 AU	2.915 AU	04h13m	+52°57'	147.3°	8.1°	149°
Today	20 Jan 2025	21.1	3.735 AU	3.221 AU	03h13m	+38°46'	114.3°	13.9°	83°
Perihelion	27 Feb 2025	21.5	3.720 AU	3.876 AU	03h07m	+28°12'	73.6°	14.8°	71°

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 A/2024 W2 are:

            e (Eccentricity)                : 1.0001470
            q (Perihelion distance)         : 3.7197040
            i (Inclination)                 : 116.62630
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 241.94650
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 168.05660
            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 247.36188
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : 10.66104
            T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2460734.19710

            Epoch                           : 2025 Jan 19
            Reference                       : MPEC 2024-YO9

            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 indicates the expected brightness if this object is a comet (15.60 + 5 log[∆] + 5.00 log[r]), whereas the red curve indicates the expected lightcurve for an asteroid (H=14.90; G=.15).

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
2025-01-20 00:00 UT   03 13 50.9   +39 00 60     3.211    3.736  115.1   13.8    84   21.1 
2025-01-20 16:54 UT   03 13 21.2   +38 46 03     3.221    3.735  114.3   13.9    83   21.1 
2025-01-21 00:00 UT   03 13 09.1   +38 39 48     3.225    3.735  114.0   13.9    83   21.1 
2025-01-22 00:00 UT   03 12 29.5   +38 18 50     3.240    3.734  112.8   14.1    82   21.1 
2025-01-23 00:00 UT   03 11 52.1   +37 58 04     3.255    3.733  111.7   14.2    82   21.1 
2025-01-24 00:00 UT   03 11 16.9   +37 37 32     3.271    3.733  110.6   14.3    81   21.1 
2025-01-25 00:00 UT   03 10 43.8   +37 17 14     3.286    3.732  109.5   14.4    80   21.2 
2025-01-26 00:00 UT   03 10 12.8   +36 57 09     3.302    3.731  108.4   14.5    80   21.2 
2025-01-27 00:00 UT   03 09 43.7   +36 37 19     3.318    3.730  107.3   14.6    79   21.2 
2025-01-28 00:00 UT   03 09 16.7   +36 17 43     3.334    3.730  106.1   14.7    79   21.2 
2025-01-29 00:00 UT   03 08 51.5   +35 58 21     3.350    3.729  105.0   14.8    78   21.2 
2025-01-30 00:00 UT   03 08 28.2   +35 39 14     3.367    3.728  103.9   14.9    78   21.2 

    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.