A/2024 U2
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase	PA
Today	20 Jan 2025	21.4	8.456 AU	8.157 AU	02h40m	+23°51'	104.4°	6.5°	74°
Nearest approach	4 Nov 2025	20.9	8.185 AU	7.274 AU	02h02m	+38°50'	155.3°	2.9°	160°
Perihelion	16 Jan 2026	21.3	8.173 AU	8.026 AU	01h16m	+36°14'	95.2°	6.9°	68°

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 U2 are:

            e (Eccentricity)                : 0.9994340
            q (Perihelion distance)         : 8.1732730
            i (Inclination)                 : 120.61970
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 56.06410
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 29.91260
            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 39.73188
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : 25.41338
            T (Time of perihelion passage)  : 2461057.37440

            Epoch                           : 2025 Jan 19
            Reference                       : MPEC 2024-YO4

            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 (12.10 + 5 log[∆] + 5.00 log[r]), whereas the red curve indicates the expected lightcurve for an asteroid (H=11.70; 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.