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Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) Position Calculator
Compute the position of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) for any date and time between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100 and visualize the results on an interactive sky map.
Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) is in the constellation of
Leo,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
Celestial 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
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Wed Apr 20 2022 at a distance of 7.849454 Astronomical Units, or 1,174,261,674 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS), according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) at epoch 24 June 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459390.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00363943 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 163.57893815° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 8.81672477 AU 1,318,963,254 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Jul-16 10:39:54 2,459,776.9444 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 48.374948164091° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 250.25613477642° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.0031943326303542° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000827°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Jul 22 | 11h 17m 09s | +21° 10’ 48” | 18.69 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 23 | 11h 17m 14s | +21° 09’ 14” | 18.69 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 24 | 11h 17m 20s | +21° 07’ 39” | 18.69 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 25 | 11h 17m 26s | +21° 06’ 04” | 18.70 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 26 | 11h 17m 32s | +21° 04’ 28” | 18.70 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 27 | 11h 17m 39s | +21° 02’ 53” | 18.70 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 28 | 11h 17m 45s | +21° 01’ 17” | 18.71 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 29 | 11h 17m 52s | +20° 59’ 41” | 18.71 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 30 | 11h 17m 59s | +20° 58’ 06” | 18.71 | Leo |
| 2024 Jul 31 | 11h 18m 07s | +20° 56’ 30” | 18.72 | Leo |
| 2024 Aug 01 | 11h 18m 14s | +20° 54’ 54” | 18.72 | Leo |
| 2024 Aug 02 | 11h 18m 22s | +20° 53’ 19” | 18.72 | Leo |
| 2024 Aug 03 | 11h 18m 30s | +20° 51’ 43” | 18.73 | Leo |
| 2024 Aug 04 | 11h 18m 39s | +20° 50’ 07” | 18.73 | Leo |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2020 F2 (ATLAS) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.