Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS
Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS is in the constellation of Pictor, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
The observed values of Magnitude, Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted Magnitude as a directional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet Observation Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table to report recent comet observations.
Rise and Set Times
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Greenwich, UKToday comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS is not visible from
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Distance from Earth
The distance of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 161P/Hartley-IRAS from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS to Earth will happen on Friday 2 October 2026 at a distance of 0.505482 Astronomical Units, or 75,618,969 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS at epoch July, 03 2004 00:00 UTC (JD: 2453190.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.83508810 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 95.69805020° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.27482939 AU 190,711,762 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
14.18590285 AU 2,122,180,865 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
7.73036612 AU 1,156,446,313 km |
| Orbital period | period |
21.4936 years 7,850.5218 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | June 20, 2005 2,453,542.3505 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | December 18, 2026 2,461,392.8723 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 47.091452375467° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 1.3981653712267° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 343.86525171541° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.04585682°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10 2025 | 05h 50m 02s | -50° 21’ 06” | 23.45 | Pictor |
| Jul 11 2025 | 05h 50m 47s | -50° 23’ 40” | 23.44 | Pictor |
| Jul 12 2025 | 05h 51m 32s | -50° 26’ 24” | 23.43 | Pictor |
| Jul 13 2025 | 05h 52m 17s | -50° 29’ 18” | 23.42 | Pictor |
| Jul 14 2025 | 05h 53m 01s | -50° 32’ 20” | 23.41 | Pictor |
| Jul 15 2025 | 05h 53m 46s | -50° 35’ 31” | 23.40 | Pictor |
| Jul 16 2025 | 05h 54m 30s | -50° 38’ 53” | 23.39 | Pictor |
| Jul 17 2025 | 05h 55m 13s | -50° 42’ 22” | 23.38 | Pictor |
| Jul 18 2025 | 05h 55m 57s | -50° 46’ 01” | 23.36 | Pictor |
| Jul 19 2025 | 05h 56m 40s | -50° 49’ 49” | 23.35 | Pictor |
| Jul 20 2025 | 05h 57m 23s | -50° 53’ 48” | 23.34 | Pictor |
| Jul 21 2025 | 05h 58m 07s | -50° 57’ 55” | 23.33 | Pictor |
| Jul 22 2025 | 05h 58m 49s | -51° 02’ 11” | 23.32 | Pictor |
| Jul 23 2025 | 05h 59m 32s | -51° 06’ 37” | 23.31 | Pictor |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS?: Key information on where to find comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS in the sky.
- Distance of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS from Earth: Find out how far comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet 161P/Hartley-IRAS with respect to the major Solar System objects.