Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) is a comet that was discovered on May 21, 2017, by the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii. It has a hyperbolic orbit with a high inclination with respect to the ecliptic plane (close to 90°), indicating that it likely originated from the Oort Cloud. Its closest approach to the Sun, or perihelion, occurred on December 19, 2022, at a distance of 1.8 astronomical units (AU), and it reached its maximum brightness between December 2022 and February 2023. After perihelion, it is slowly becoming fainter as it continues on its journey back to the outer reaches of the solar system.
Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)
Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) is in the constellation of Gemini, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) to Earth happened on Thursday 14 July 2022 at a distance of 1.807997 Astronomical Units, or 270,472,476 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 C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS), 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 C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) at epoch June, 03 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459369.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00056078 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 87.55243451° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.79758614 AU 268,915,059 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | December 19, 2022 2,459,933.2640 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 236.18815747° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 88.24466059559° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.0030616420406343° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000543°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) 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 C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) 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 09 2025 | 06h 02m 25s | +26° 21’ 41” | 17.91 | Gemini |
| Jul 10 2025 | 06h 02m 50s | +26° 23’ 00” | 17.91 | Gemini |
| Jul 11 2025 | 06h 03m 15s | +26° 24’ 19” | 17.91 | Gemini |
| Jul 12 2025 | 06h 03m 39s | +26° 25’ 37” | 17.91 | Gemini |
| Jul 13 2025 | 06h 04m 03s | +26° 26’ 56” | 17.91 | Gemini |
| Jul 14 2025 | 06h 04m 27s | +26° 28’ 15” | 17.92 | Gemini |
| Jul 15 2025 | 06h 04m 51s | +26° 29’ 35” | 17.92 | Gemini |
| Jul 16 2025 | 06h 05m 15s | +26° 30’ 53” | 17.92 | Gemini |
| Jul 17 2025 | 06h 05m 39s | +26° 32’ 12” | 17.92 | Gemini |
| Jul 18 2025 | 06h 06m 02s | +26° 33’ 31” | 17.92 | Gemini |
| Jul 19 2025 | 06h 06m 26s | +26° 34’ 50” | 17.92 | Gemini |
| Jul 20 2025 | 06h 06m 49s | +26° 36’ 09” | 17.93 | Gemini |
| Jul 21 2025 | 06h 07m 12s | +26° 37’ 28” | 17.93 | Gemini |
| Jul 22 2025 | 06h 07m 35s | +26° 38’ 47” | 17.93 | Gemini |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)?: Key information on where to find comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) in the sky.
- Distance of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) from Earth: Find out how far comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)'s position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.