Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet 205P/Giacobini in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet 205P/Giacobini
Comet 205P/Giacobini is in the constellation of Sextans, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 205P/Giacobini 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 205P/Giacobini 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 205P/Giacobini from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
The distance of comet 205P/Giacobini from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 205P/Giacobini 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 205P/Giacobini 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 205P/Giacobini to Earth happened on Sunday 24 August 2008 at a distance of 0.585072 Astronomical Units, or 87,525,543 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet 205P/Giacobini 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 | 10h 02m 53s | +06° 21’ 40” | N.A. | Leo |
| Jul 11 2025 | 10h 03m 30s | +06° 19’ 29” | N.A. | Leo |
| Jul 12 2025 | 10h 04m 08s | +06° 17’ 15” | N.A. | Leo |
| Jul 13 2025 | 10h 04m 45s | +06° 15’ 00” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 14 2025 | 10h 05m 24s | +06° 12’ 42” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 15 2025 | 10h 06m 02s | +06° 10’ 21” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 16 2025 | 10h 06m 40s | +06° 07’ 58” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 17 2025 | 10h 07m 19s | +06° 05’ 34” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 18 2025 | 10h 07m 58s | +06° 03’ 06” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 19 2025 | 10h 08m 37s | +06° 00’ 35” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 20 2025 | 10h 09m 16s | +05° 58’ 04” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 21 2025 | 10h 09m 56s | +05° 55’ 29” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 22 2025 | 10h 10m 36s | +05° 52’ 52” | N.A. | Sextans |
| Jul 23 2025 | 10h 11m 16s | +05° 50’ 14” | N.A. | Sextans |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 205P/Giacobini: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 205P/Giacobini?: Key information on where to find comet 205P/Giacobini in the sky.
- Distance of comet 205P/Giacobini from Earth: Find out how far comet 205P/Giacobini is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 205P/Giacobini?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 205P/Giacobini from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 205P/Giacobini's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 205P/Giacobini's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 205P/Giacobini's computed ephemeris.